BoatsHughes 26

Hughes 26

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1976

A Sparkman & Stephens quarter-tonner designed for competitive racing and later adapted for cruising

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens.

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.

LivelySea-kindly

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

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.17
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 247
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.2
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
43.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.2
Displacement / length
247.2
Comfort ratio
17.3
Capsize screening
2.17
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
651
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
Hughes Boat Works 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.

Puma 277.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance-oriented coastal cruising
Cal 257.62 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet
Comet 7707.70 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Jean-Marie Finot-designed IOR quarter-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited club racing
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 267.47 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stiff, stable hull form
Martinique 257.70 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Brazilian-built masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising

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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