BoatsElizabethan 23

Elizabethan 23

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1969

A David Thomas-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, built for stability in a compact, shoal-draft package

Designed by David Thomas, built by Peter Webster Ltd.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.19 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,620 kg of hull, so roughly 2,200 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.76 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 20 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.88
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 252
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 24.4
TenderStiff

47% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 47%

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

  • Heavier than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 612 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
46.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
24.4
Displacement / length
251.8
Comfort ratio
20.1
Capsize screening
1.88
Hull speed
5.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
475
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1969
Designer
David Thomas
Builder
Peter Webster Ltd

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.

O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
O'day 23-1 (Lift Top)7.01 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA popular C. Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop featuring a unique lift-top coach roof for added cabin headroom
Cal Boats 247.43 mSame hull family0.4 m longerThe inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatility
Macgregor 26X7.87 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA water-ballasted sail-power hybrid designed for versatile coastal cruising and easy trailering

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.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

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

Report an issue