BoatsRanger Yachts 23

Ranger Yachts 23

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1971–1978

Designed to rate at the IOR 18-foot level, this masthead sloop offered an optional tall rig starting in 1974

Designed by Gary Mull.

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

See her sail

The Ranger Yachts 23, on the water

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

Footage from Pacific Yacht Systems

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.41 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,542 kg of hull, so roughly 2,150 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 1.14 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 moderate beam gives 16 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 16
CoastalBluewater

2.11 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.11
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 190
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.3
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 44%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Narrower than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1229 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Ranger Yachts 23, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Ranger Yachts 23 is a masthead sloop designed by Gary Mull and built by Ranger Yachts from 1971 to 1978. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, measures 7.2 meters LOA, has a 2.4-meter beam, a 1.1-meter draft, and displaces 1542 kg. Designed to rate at the IOR 1/4 ton level, a tall rig option became available in 1974. Aboard *Sailing Triteia*, Sam Holmes recounted sailing a Ranger Yachts 23 out of Los Angeles Harbor before moving to a Cape Dory for 31,000 miles in the North Atlantic.1:26

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.3
Displacement / length
189.7
Comfort ratio
15.8
Capsize screening
2.11
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
566
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1971–1978
Units built
740
Designer
Gary Mull
Builder
Ranger Yachts

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.

San Juan 247.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Kirby-designed IOR quarter-tonner that balances competitive racing pedigree with a stable masthead sloop rig
Junk Sailboat, or Great Cheap Boat? - Ep 302 - Lady K Sailing0:46from Lady K Sailing
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe world's most popular one-design keelboat, featuring a light 1406kg displacement for responsive, agile handling
Everything You Think About Sailing Is Wrong3:59from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Zero Dollar Cruising Dream | Halcyon 23from Practical Sailor
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.27.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jacques Fauroux-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel
Sailing under asymmetric spinnaker with a Sun Odyssey1:24from VOILIER ODIN
Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. Nomad 226.78 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA twin-keel masthead sloop designed by Denys Rayner as a refined evolution of the Westerly 22 for shoal-water cruising
How to Sail in Bad Weather21:07from The Mariner
Dehler Yachts 25CR7.50 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Van de Stadt-designed fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited performance
Don't Make The Same MISTAKE We Did [Ep.28]9:27from Sailing Oceanaire | Wik & Rox

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.

Ranger Yachts 22An IOR mini-ton racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for competitive performance in a compact hullRanger 28A Gary Mull design with clear IOR influence, featuring a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performanceRanger Yachts 32An IOR 3/4 ton racer derived from the Swampfire design that claimed victory at the inaugural 1974 3/4 Ton CupRanger Yachts 26 (Mull)A 1969-1975 production masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive coastal handling

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