BoatsFord 20

Ford 20

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard (Trunk) · First built 1969

A lightweight fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio, designed as the flagship of the 1969 MFG fleet

Designed by F. S. Ford, built by Anchor Reinforced Plastics.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard (Trunk)

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.13 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 431 kg of hull, so roughly 1,050 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 431 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.20 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 6 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 6
CoastalBluewater

At 2.85 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.85
LightHeavy

67 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 67
EasygoingPowered-up

34.0 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 34.0

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Lighter than ~86% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 538 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
34.0
Displacement / length
67.0
Comfort ratio
5.8
Capsize screening
2.85
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
463
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard (Trunk)
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1969
Designer
F. S. Ford
Builder
Anchor Reinforced Plastics, MFG Boats

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.

RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.3 m longer
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Melges 247.32 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA 7.32-meter sportboat with a lifting keel and a 32.09 sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for rapid planing
New clubhouse, Tønsberg Sailing Association0:57from SEILmagasinet
Microtonner 195.50 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Nestor Volker to the International Micro Class rule for competitive racing
I Met the Man Who Puts Sailboats Inside the São Francisco River | #SAL #4256:23from Hashtag Sal
Drascombe Dabber4.72 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA John Watkinson-designed sprit-rigged daysailer with a centerboard, built since 1970 for shallow-water versatility
Getting Underway - Portland to Boston23:16from The Mariner
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI
Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA swing-keel masthead sloop with 15,000 units sold, offering a highly versatile and trailerable coastal cruiser
The ZERO KEEL and ALPHA RUDDER - Are Kraken Yachts Really THAT GOOD?9:27from Practical Sailor

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.

Hunter Marine 20A Cortland Steck-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel, built for trailerable shoal-water sailingMustang 17A Sparkman & Stephens fractional dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited performanceJeanneau Sun Fast 20A lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel designed for trailerable, spirited daysailing

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Ford 20

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