BoatsHughes 29

Hughes 29

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1975

A masthead sloop with a high ballast-to-displacement ratio of 46 percent, built in a production run of nearly 200 hulls

Designed by Howard Hughes.

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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.75
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 239
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

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

  • Narrower than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2383 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
46.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
238.5
Comfort ratio
24.6
Capsize screening
1.75
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
671
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Units built
190
Designer
Howard Hughes
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.

San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
C&C Yachts 30-1 (1-506)9.14 mSame hull family0.2 m longerWith a 12-year production run, this masthead sloop stands as the longest-built model in the C&C lineup.
Pearson Yachts 309.08 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Shaw-designed masthead sloop with over 1,000 hulls built, balancing a stiff 43% ballast ratio for coastal cruising
Seafarer Yachts 298.75 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn IOR half-ton racer configuration offered alongside standard trunk cabin and raised-deck cruising models
Sunbeam 298.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Schoechl-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio, built for performance over two decades
Islander Yachts Bahama 309.12 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1973-1985 production masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Islander 30 MKII and featuring a balanced fin keel

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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