BoatsDolphin 24 (S&S)

Dolphin 24 (S&S)

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · 1959–1967

A 1959 classic featuring a unique wood-deck variant born from a factory fire, offering a versatile keel-centerboard hull

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, built by O'Day Corp.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Dolphin 24 (S&S), on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.34 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,928 kg of hull, so roughly 2,550 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.86 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.90
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 277
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.0
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

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

  • Heavier than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 613 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Dolphin 24 (S&S), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Dolphin 24 (S&S) is a 7.4-meter masthead sloop designed by Sparkman & Stephens, with a keel/centerboard hull, built from 1959 to 1967. O'Day Corp. initially produced the design, farming out construction to multiple firms including Lunn Laminates and Marscot Plastics.0:48 A fire destroyed the original deck molds, leading to an unknown number of Dolphin 24s being built with wood decks and coachroofs. Yankee Yachts later produced another variant of the Dolphin 24.4:25 The design, S&S #1497, has a 2.3-meter beam, 1.6-meter draft, and displaces 1927 kg. An optional Palmer Husky gas inboard engine was 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
38.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.0
Displacement / length
276.6
Comfort ratio
21.2
Capsize screening
1.90
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
521
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1959–1967
Units built
36
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
O'Day Corp, J.J. Taylor, Sons 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.

Deltania Yachts 267.92 mSame hull family0.6 m longer
Building our house | Styrofoam slab and Galvalume rooffrom MotionMe
Redline 25 (C&C)7.49 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1969 keel-centerboard cruiser designed by C&C, offering shoal-draft versatility in a compact 7.49-metre hull
This Is Why Sailing Costs Less Than Rent (Seriously) - Ep 356 Lady K Sailing5:26from Lady K Sailing
Paceship Yachts Westwind 247.29 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, built for versatility in shoal waters
Potential Sailboat Restoration: Bringing a Classic Back to Life?6:18from BoatworksToday
Hunter Marine 226.78 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA masthead sloop with a keel-centreboard configuration, designed for versatile shoal-water access and trailerability
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing
O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Juliano and the sailboat Tupã12:35from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Columbia and Hughes - Episode 143 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Yankee Yachts Inc. Dolphin 24A Sparkman & Stephens design built to the MORC rule, featuring a keel-centerboard configuration for versatile performancePacific Dolphin 24A Sparkman & Stephens-designed masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard hull, built by Pacific using molds from Yankee YachtsS&s 24A Sparkman & Stephens keel-version of the Dolphin 24, this masthead sloop offers a stable, classic design from 1968Falcon 24 (S&S)A Sparkman & Stephens-designed fin-keel evolution of the classic Dolphin 24, built in New Zealand during the 1970sOlympic Dolphin 23A Derek Angus-designed masthead sloop with a swing keel, built in Canada and Greece for versatile shoal-water sailing

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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