BoatsHughes 29

Hughes 29

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1975

A masthead sloop with a high ballast-to-displacement ratio of 46 percent, built in a production run of nearly 200 hulls

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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 239
EasygoingPowered-up

16.1 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 46%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

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

Compared with 2383 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
46.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
238.5
Comfort ratio
24.6
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
671
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Units built
190
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.

Ranger Yachts 29 (Mull)8.71 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 1970s masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a balanced 1.98 capsize screening for coastal cruising
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
Newport 30-19.14 mSame hull family0.2 m longerThe original 1968 production run of this masthead sloop, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal sailing
Jeanneau Rush 319.13 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Ron Holland-designed IOR half-tonner that served as the official boat for the Tour de France à la Voile
Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Com-Pac Yachts 258.59 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterOriginally the Watkins 25, this masthead sloop features a shallow 0.76m draft and a fin keel for versatile 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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