Sabre 27 (Hill)

BoatsSabre 27 (Hill)

See her sail

The Sabre 27 (Hill), on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Brothers

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.90

LightHeavy

279 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 279

EasygoingPowered-up

14.3 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.3

TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Sabre 27 (Hill), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sabre 27 (HILL) is a masthead sloop designed by Alan F. Hill and built by Marine Construction Ltd. from 1969 to 1979. It measures 8.2 meters LOA, with a 2.7-meter beam, 1.4-meter draft, and 3084 kg displacement.7:00 A twin keel version was also available.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

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

45.6%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

14.3

Displacement / length

278.6

Comfort ratio

23.8

Capsize screening

1.90

Hull speed

6.3 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

713

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

1969–1979

Units built

400

Designer

Alan F. Hill

Builder

Marine Construction Ltd

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.

Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971

🔴 SNEAK PEEK! - 2025 BOAT AUCTION Announcement! - CHEAP BOATS EP774:36 from Sailing Solé

Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising

Salt & Tar: Ep.235- Buddy Boating to the Islands (We have Friends!)8:18 from Salt & Tar

Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance

My Honest Advice for New Sailors (It’s Not What You Think)8:29 from Be The Captain

Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls molded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine

Boat Tour of a Free Sailboat before Refurbishment - Prequel - DIY Free Sailboat Refit from Sailing Puffin

Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations

Bahamas for $5000? The Watkins 27 foot Sailboat0:47 from Practical Sailor

Hunter Marine 288.54 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA shoal-draft wing-keel cruiser updated from the 28.5, designed for stability and ease of access to shallow waters

What Happened to Hunter Sailboats? The History Most People Don't Know.from All About Sailing

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.

Sabre Yachts 28-1A Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruising Sabre Yachts 30-1A limited 100-hull production run featuring a 1.52-metre draft and a 3900-kilogram displacement for coastal stability Sabre Yachts 28-3A short-run production of 48 hulls, offering a compact 8.66-metre footprint with a stable 40% ballast ratio Sabre Yachts 36A 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performance Sabre Yachts 30-2A short-run masthead sloop from the Sabre design team, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stability and control

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Sabre 27 (Hill), or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Sabre 27 (Hill)

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue