BoatsIrwin Yachts 28

Irwin Yachts 28

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1970

A Ted Irwin-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, known for a long and evolving production run

Designed by Ted Irwin.

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 heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

At 1.61 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.61
LightHeavy

310 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 310
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Narrower than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2113 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
38.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
309.6
Comfort ratio
31.7
Capsize screening
1.61
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
643
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1970
Designer
Ted Irwin
Builder
Irwin 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.

Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971
Cal 2-298.84 mSame hull family0.3 m longerAn upgraded cruising variant of the standard 29, featuring enhanced equipment and a masthead rig
Ericson Yachts 298.71 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1970s masthead sloop with a 1.32-meter draft and a 45% ballast ratio, balancing coastal stability with shoal access
Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations
Shannon Yachts 288.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA fin-keeled cutter with a transom-hung rudder, built for coastal cruising with a stiff 38% ballast ratio
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced 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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