BoatsRS Elite

RS Elite

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2004

A Phil Morrison-designed fractional sloop with a high ballast-to-displacement ratio, built for three-person class racing

Designed by Phil Morrison.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.72 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 975 kg of hull, so roughly 1,550 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 1.10 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 22.7
TenderStiff

64% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 64%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Lighter than ~90% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~100% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1422 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
64.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
22.7
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2004
Designer
Phil Morrison
Builder
RS Sailing

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.

J J/77.04 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 2024 fractional sloop with a shallow 1.16m draft and a high 23.55 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive daysailing
J7: Finally an affordable sailboat0:49from SEILmagasinet
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/226.86 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio designed for competitive one-design racing
Sailing a J22 in Newport Beach, CA (July 2022)0:30from keeldragger
J Boats J/706.93 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Alan Johnstone, with over 1,100 units delivered for one-design racing
Home favorite in the Women's Snipe National Championship0:40from SEILmagasinet
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/808.00 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 1992 fractional sloop with a high 26.59 sail area-to-displacement ratio, engineered for rapid, agile performance
Transiting the Chesapeake Bay - North and South23:13from Maryland School of Sailing
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Free Boat Inspection - Deck Corefrom Practical Sailor
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
The Scariest Dangers at Sea (And How to Survive Them)31:46from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

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.

Elite 30SA 1984 masthead sloop with a high 19.39 SA/displacement ratio, designed for responsive performance on a fin keelElite 29A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Feeling 850, offered in various rig and keel setupsElite 32A Philippe H. Harle design marketed as the Feeling 920, offering both fractional and masthead rig optionsRS 21Fractional Sloop · 6.40 mElite 30A Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop and 1983 International 1/2 Ton Cup winner built for competitive performanceElite 25A Joubert-Nivelt fractional sloop designed for performance with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the RS Elite

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