BoatsAlerion Yachts Express 28

Alerion Yachts Express 28

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1990

A lightweight fractional sloop featuring an updated bulb keel for improved stability and performance

Designed by Carl Schumacher, built by Tillotson Pearson Inc.

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.

TrailerableBeam 2.49 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,996 kg of hull, so roughly 2,600 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 17 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.00
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 165
EasygoingPowered-up

21.1 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 21.1
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

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

  • Lighter than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2176 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
45.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.1
Displacement / length
165.3
Comfort ratio
16.9
Capsize screening
2.00
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
667
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1990
Units built
470
Designer
Carl Schumacher
Builder
Tillotson Pearson Inc, Alerion Yachts

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.

Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979
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
Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.58.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1980s cruiser with a 1.5-metre bulb keel and spade rudder, designed for a balanced, stable coastal experience
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement take on IOR design
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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