BoatsIdeal 18

Ideal 18

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1989

A Bruce Kirby-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for responsive day sailing

Designed by Bruce Kirby, built by Ontario Yachts.

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.

TrailerableBeam 1.89 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 563 kg of hull, so roughly 1,150 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.99 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 11 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 11
CoastalBluewater

At 2.31 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.31
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 187
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 24.3
TenderStiff

56% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 56%

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

  • Lighter than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~90% of boats her size on file

Compared with 267 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
56.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
24.3
Displacement / length
187.3
Comfort ratio
10.9
Capsize screening
2.31
Hull speed
5.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
318
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1989
Units built
325
Designer
Bruce Kirby
Builder
Ontario Yachts

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.

Santana 206.16 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop with a 1996 deck redesign that added an open transom and a roomier cockpit
Episode 1 - The Beginning10:05from Vela Sin Rumbo
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
Captain's Log Day 3: Things That Go Bump in the Night (3/10)4:19from Be The Captain
Borge Bringsvaerd Bb116.18 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA Norwegian-built classic with an active class association that has raced continuously since the 1960s
Join us inside the Dragon's Lair: 11 Dragons and a handful of fast cars13:53from SEILmagasinet
Marieholm Boats S-206.00 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agility
Bay Cruiser 21: Sensibility with charmfrom SEILmagasinet
Birdyfish S4.20 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA 4.2-metre foiling monohull with a 100kg displacement and a high-performance Marconi cat rig
Can a Normal Sailor Actually Buy a Foiling Dinghy Now?2:23from Practical Sailor
Hurley 226.71 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA long-running Ian Anderson design with a heavy ballast ratio, produced by multiple builders over three decades
Stopped on the road to recycling - the wrecked yacht that needed a lift0:27from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

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

Hunter Marine 18A lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel designed for quick, responsive daysailingHunter Marine 18.5A fractional sloop with a shallow-draft wing keel, designed for easy trailering and stable coastal daysailingPrecision 18A Jim Taylor-designed fractional sloop with a centerboard and a 35-year production run for versatile coastal sailingElite 25A Joubert-Nivelt fractional sloop designed for performance with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Ideal 18

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