BoatsMacgregor 26M

Macgregor 26M

Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar) · Daggerboard · 2003–2014

A versatile trailer-sailer featuring a rotating spar, daggerboard, and twin rudders for performance in a light displacement

Designed by Roger Macgregor.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Daggerboard

See her sail

The Macgregor 26M, on the water

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

Footage from Adventureman Dan

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.36 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.Shoal draftDraws 0.30 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 narrow beam gives 17 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.96
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 144
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 19.1
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

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

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 8 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Macgregor 26M, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Macgregor 26M is a 7.9-meter trailerable sailboat designed by Roger Macgregor and built by Macgregor Yacht Corp. from 2003 to 2014, replacing the Macgregor 26X. It features a deeper V bottom, softer chines, a daggerboard, twin rudders, and a rotating spar, with a minimum draft of 1 foot when the daggerboard and rudders are raised.5:32 The boat uses 300 pounds of fixed ballast and up to 1,150 pounds of water ballast, and it can plane at 17 to 20 knots under power with a more than auxiliary-sized outboard.5:46 Aboard Adventureman Dan, the 26M is considered for an "Ultimate Modular Amphibious Adventure Rig" due to its versatility in combining sailing, powerboating, and overland travel, allowing it to bypass boatyard fees and access shallow waters.3:22 However, it compromises sailing performance, motoring efficiency, and interior space compared to dedicated vessels.6:49 Lady K Sailing notes that the Macgregor 26M, like the 26X, offers limited performance for serious coastal or offshore cruising.6:22

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Macgregor 26M on video

Who's been looking

Market signal

Crews the fleet has filmed weighing this model up — no sale seen, and no asking price.

1channel looked into buying

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar)
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.1
Displacement / length
143.6
Comfort ratio
16.9
Capsize screening
1.96
Hull speed
6.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
642
Hull
Hull type
Daggerboard
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Water
Production
Years built
2003–2014
Units built
5000
Designer
Roger Macgregor
Builder
Macgregor Yacht 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.

Macgregor 26D7.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lightweight, high-production fractional sloop featuring a daggerboard and a design legacy that defined a generation
Why Sailors Love to Hate the MacGregor 26from 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.

Macgregor 26XA water-ballasted sail-power hybrid designed for versatile coastal cruising and easy traileringMacgregor 26SA centerboard fractional sloop built from 1990 to 1995 as part of one of the world's most widely produced boat seriesMacgregor 26DA lightweight, high-production fractional sloop featuring a daggerboard and a design legacy that defined a generationMacgregor 36A Roger Macgregor-designed catamaran with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for speed between 1977 and 1983Macgregor 25A high-performance fractional sloop with over 7,000 units sold, designed for versatility as both a Venture and MacGregor 25

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The fleet has more to say

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