BoatsCal 25

Cal 25

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1965–1976

A flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet

Designed by C. William Lapworth, built by Jensen Marine.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Cal 25, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Wind Hippie Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.44 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,814 kg of hull, so roughly 2,400 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 18 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 18
CoastalBluewater

2.02 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.02
LightHeavy

223 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 223
EasygoingPowered-up

18.2 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.2
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Narrower than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1547 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Cal 25, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Cal 25 is a 7.6-meter masthead sloop designed by C. William Lapworth and built by Jensen Marine from 1965 to 1976. This flush-deck sailboat features a fin keel with a spade rudder and a 'pop top' companionway. It displaces 1814 kg, has a 2.4-meter beam, and draws 1.2 meters. The Cal 25 was one of the most popular Cal models, distinct from the later Cal 2-25.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 26 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Cal 25 on video

Torres Strait: The Lost FilesA 27-foot sailboat transits the Torres Strait and Gove by timing tidal currents and weather windows.Wind Hippie SailingFiesty Sail to Lizard Island WHSE158The crew sails 106 miles to Lizard Island using only a headsail to manage 35-knot following winds.Wind Hippie SailingWhen Life Brings You Squalls WHSE157The crew installs a new Harken offshore furling drum and builds a custom dinghy bridle at Low Island.Wind Hippie SailingWe're Leaking Again WHSE153The 30-foot sailboat GEKKO undergoes a three-week haul-out for solar upgrades, hull maintenance, and extensive provisioning.Wind Hippie SailingDropping the Rudder to Replace the Bushings WHSE151Replacing worn rudder bushings on the sailboat Gekko requires cutting access holes into the fiberglass skeg.Wind Hippie SailingSir Driftalot -Losing My Engine and Drifting at Sea for Two Days WHS E77A 27-ft sailboat drifts for two days toward Moorea after an engine failure leaves it becalmed.Wind Hippie Sailing

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • FailedGoPro

    The cameras battery died while filming a task.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen July 20269:08

  • FailedNavionics

    The primary device running the chart plotter stopped charging, causing a loss of the chart.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen May 202611:40

  • InstalledDyneema

    A spare piece of Dyneema, previously used as temporary lifelines, was repurposed to repair the outboard engines starter rope.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen February 20266:01

  • InstalledHighfield

    The sailor is picking up her new Highfield ultralight tender.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen January 20250:19

  • InstalledSikaflex

    A below-waterline SikaFlex product was used to seal the bottom plate and bolts of the rudder.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen October 202420:35

  • BoughtHarken

    The owner chose a Harken offshore drum for the new roller furling system.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen February 20253:49

  • ConsideredFortress

    The speaker considered using a Fortress anchor as an emergency anchor, but decided against it due to its small size and the muddy conditions.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen September 202421:43

  • WorkingWindy

    The skipper uses the Windy app to check wind conditions and forecasts.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen March 20261:05

  • WorkinginReach

    The speaker used a Garmin inReach to text her mom for current information due to lack of internet.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen April 2025watch

  • WorkingGarmin

    The speaker referred to her Garmin inReach as her little monster of a Garmin and her one link to the outside world.

    aboard Wind Hippie Sailingseen April 202512:58

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Cal 25 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.2
Displacement / length
223.2
Comfort ratio
18.0
Capsize screening
2.02
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
572
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1965–1976
Units built
1848
Designer
C. William Lapworth
Builder
Jensen Marine, Bangor Punta Corp

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Comet 7707.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jean-Marie Finot-designed IOR quarter-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited club racing
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.27.30 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Jacques Fauroux-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel
Martinique 257.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Brazilian-built masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
Jaguar 257.62 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Frank Butler-designed masthead sloop with a deep fin keel, offering a similar layout to the popular Catalina 25
Maxi Yachts 777.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe most popular model in the builder's history, offering both inboard and outboard engine options for versatile cruising
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 267.47 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stiff, stable hull form

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Cal 25, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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