BoatsSmiling 28

Smiling 28

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1974

A narrow-beamed fractional sloop by Jan Herman Linge, designed for ORC competition and built in the Nordic tradition

Designed by Jan Herman Linge, built by Borge Bringsvaerd.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.77
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 238
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.1
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.

  • Narrower than ~93% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2229 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
45.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
238.0
Comfort ratio
22.8
Capsize screening
1.77
Hull speed
6.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
592
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
First built 1974
Units built
60
Designer
Jan Herman Linge
Builder
Borge Bringsvaerd

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.

Com-Pac Yachts 258.59 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOriginally the Watkins 25, this masthead sloop features a shallow 0.76m draft and a fin keel for versatile cruising
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Ranger Yachts 29 (Mull)8.71 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1970s masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a balanced 1.98 capsize screening for coastal cruising
Hunter Marine 288.54 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA shoal-draft wing-keel cruiser updated from the 28.5, designed for stability and ease of access to shallow waters
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9

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.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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