BoatsDefender 15

Defender 15

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1969–1972

An IOR quarter-tonner with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, built between 1969 and 1972

Designed by Jacques Gaubert & Andre Mauric, built by Dekker.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.51 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,996 kg of hull, so roughly 2,600 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.02
LightHeavy

286 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 286
EasygoingPowered-up

14.3 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.3
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.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
43.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.3
Displacement / length
286.4
Comfort ratio
19.3
Capsize screening
2.02
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
560
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1969–1972
Designer
Jacques Gaubert, Andre Mauric
Builder
Dekker, Sons, EDOR

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Puma 268.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop derived from an IOR Half Ton prototype, designed by Holman and Pye for competitive performance
Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls molded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine
Cal 257.62 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising
Comet 7707.70 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Jean-Marie Finot-designed IOR quarter-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited club racing
Puma 277.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance-oriented coastal cruising

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 looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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