BoatsHughes 25

Hughes 25

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1968

A popular masthead sloop derived from William Shaw's Nutmeg 24, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder

Designed by Howard Hughes.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.29 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,588 kg of hull, so roughly 2,200 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 0.99 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

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

Comfort ratio 18
CoastalBluewater

1.98 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.98
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 228
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.8
TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Draws less than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1563 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
Ballast / displacement
45.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.8
Displacement / length
227.8
Comfort ratio
17.7
Capsize screening
1.98
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
509
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1968
Designer
Howard Hughes
Builder
Hughes Boat Works Ltd

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.

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
Cal 257.62 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterThe world's most popular one-design keelboat, featuring a light 1406kg displacement for responsive, agile handling
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.27.30 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Jacques Fauroux-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel
Dehler Yachts 25CR7.50 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Van de Stadt-designed fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited performance
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

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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