BoatsMaxi Yachts Racer

Maxi Yachts Racer

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/transom Hung Rudder · 1979–1983

A lightweight 7.95-metre fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited racing

Designed by Pelle Petterson.

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

See her sail

The Maxi Yachts Racer, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 13 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 13
CoastalBluewater

At 2.33 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.33
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 140
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 21.4
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Maxi Yachts Racer, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Maxi Yachts RACER is a 7.95-meter fractional sloop designed by Pelle Petterson and built by Maxi Yachts between 1979 and 1983. This fin-keeled sailboat with a transom-hung rudder displaces 1799 kg and has a 1.5-meter draft. Martin Kamperhaug, a boatbuilder at MK Boat AS, is organizing a 2023 Half Tonner reunion regatta at Hankø, Norway, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1983 Half Ton World Championship.0:25 Kamperhaug acquired Fram 8, a notable boat from that championship, to serve as a flagship for the event, and he is locating other surviving Half Tonners for restoration.2:23 He emphasizes that restoring classic hulls like the Half Tonner is more viable in Norway than new production due to high labor costs.7:11

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 Maxi Yachts Racer on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.4
Displacement / length
140.2
Comfort ratio
13.2
Capsize screening
2.33
Hull speed
6.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
765
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/transom hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1979–1983
Units built
350
Designer
Pelle Petterson
Builder
Maxi Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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Seaward 258.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1984 fractional sloop with a shallow 0.63m draft and fin keel, built for accessible coastal cruising
[OFF MARKET] Seaward 35 (TIPANIE), with Hugh Rayner - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Maxi Yachts 777.70 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterThe most popular model in the builder's history, offering both inboard and outboard engine options for versatile cruising
From Helsesista to Adventure Tale: How she found joy on the "high seas" in the Inner Oslo Fjordfrom SEILmagasinet
Martinique 257.70 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Brazilian-built masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
The Day I Found My Sailboat, Balanço | #SAL Cut #513:35from Hashtag Sal
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/808.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1992 fractional sloop with a high 26.59 sail area-to-displacement ratio, engineered for rapid, agile performance
129. Fran Palacio. Sardinia Cup 2026.2:53from A Son de Mar
Hunter Marine 27-28.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 27-foot fractional sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
The Perfect Family Sailboat! Hunter 27-2 - Boat Review0:50from Practical Sailor
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
HOW TO STEER THE RIGHT COURSE? (Points of sail)⚓🚢 #sailing #sailingboatfrom Maurizio and the sail

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.

Maxi Yachts 87A 1970s masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, designed for predictable handling in a compact 8.7-metre frameMaxi Yachts 84A 8.5-metre fin-keeler with a 45% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal sailingMaxi Yachts 999A 9.9-metre fractional sloop featuring a 1.7-metre bulb keel and a light, performance-oriented displacementMaxi Yachts 108A 10.75-metre masthead sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed for steady coastal cruising and predictable handlingMaxi Yachts 68A compact 6.8-metre fin-keeler with a 42% ballast ratio, built for stable coastal cruising in a manageable sizeMaxi Yachts 909A 9-metre fractional sloop with a 42% ballast ratio, designed for a stiff and responsive sailing experience

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