Precision 165

BoatsPrecision 165

See her sail

The Precision 165, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.18 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 340 kg of hull, so roughly 950 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 340 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 0.53 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 beamy beam gives 5 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 5

CoastalBluewater

At 3.15 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.15

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 94

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 24.6

TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

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

Lighter than ~91% of boats her size on file
Draws less than ~93% of boats her size on file

Compared with 151 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Precision 165, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Precision 165 is a 5.0-meter fractional sloop designed by Jim Taylor and built by Precision Boat Works from 1995 to 2019. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, a 2.2-meter beam, 0.5-meter draft, and displaces 340 kg. As a trailer sailor, the Precision 165 offers a low-cost entry into boat ownership, allowing storage on land and avoiding marina fees. Trailer sailors like the Precision 165 require owners to step the mast and rig the boat before each outing.12:43 Owners must consider the total weight of the boat, gear, and trailer when selecting a tow vehicle, and regular trailer maintenance is crucial, especially for saltwater use.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

A 1996 Precision 165 is for sale for less than five thousand dollars
from Lady K Sailingseen August 2023watch

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

33.3%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

24.6

Displacement / length

94.4

Comfort ratio

5.4

Capsize screening

3.15

Hull speed

5.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

390

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/transom hung rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1995–2019

Designer

Jim Taylor

Builder

Precision Boat Works

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.

Flying Fifteen6.10 mSame hull family1.1 m longerAn active international one-design class since 1948, featuring a high-performance fractional rig and a fin keel

Huff of Arklow - Uffa Fox-designed yacht featuring a fin and skeg, stepped sheerline0:30 from Classic Yacht TV

Birdyfish S4.20 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA 4.2-metre foiling monohull with a 100kg displacement and a high-performance Marconi cat rig

Can a Normal Sailor Actually Buy a Foiling Dinghy Now?2:23 from Practical Sailor

Rio 206.10 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA lightweight, high-performance masthead sloop designed by Roberto Barros with a lively sail area-to-displacement ratio

João Basilio: Sea Scout Antonina8:03 from Podcast Maré Sonora ®

Leisure Yachts 175.18 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA prolific twin-keel masthead sloop designed for shoal water, with thousands produced across three decades

This 17ft boat is going to cross the Atlantic!0:03 from practicalboatowner

Borge Bringsvaerd Bb116.18 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA Norwegian-built classic with an active class association that has raced continuously since the 1960s

Join us inside the Dragon's Lair: 11 Dragons and a handful of fast cars13:53 from SEILmagasinet

Com-Pac Yachts 195.79 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA Robert K. Johnson-designed masthead sloop built for shoal-draft gunkholing with a stable 40% ballast ratio

Com-Pac Sailboats - Everything You Need to Know4:40 from 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.

Precision 15 KA Jim Taylor-designed fractional sloop with a 26.39 SA/D ratio, built for over two decades as a stable, fin-keeled daysailer Precision 185A nimble 399kg fractional sloop with a high 26.84 SA/D ratio, built for spirited and responsive coastal daysailing Precision 21A keel-centerboard fractional sloop with a 20.25 SA/D ratio, built for over three decades as a versatile coastal cruiser Precision 18A Jim Taylor-designed fractional sloop with a centerboard and a 35-year production run for versatile coastal sailing

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The fleet has more to say

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