BoatsIW-Varvet F 18

IW-Varvet F 18

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1962

A RORC class 5 masthead sloop from 1962, later evolved into the IW-23 and the Norwegian-built Westcapp 23

Designed by Ivar Akesson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.25 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,500 kg of hull, so roughly 2,100 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 1.10 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 17 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.98
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 194
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.0
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

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

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

Compared with 1046 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
42.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.0
Displacement / length
193.7
Comfort ratio
17.4
Capsize screening
1.98
Hull speed
5.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
519
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
First built 1962
Designer
Ivar Akesson
Builder
IW-Varvet

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.

Maxi Yachts 686.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA compact 6.8-metre fin-keeler with a 42% ballast ratio, built for stable coastal cruising in a manageable size
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA legendary Rodney Johnstone design that defined the modern one-design racer with its high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.27.30 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Jacques Fauroux-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel
Martinique 257.70 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA Brazilian-built masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
Comet 7707.70 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA Jean-Marie Finot-designed IOR quarter-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited club racing

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