BoatsIrwin Yachts 28 MK IV

Irwin Yachts 28 MK IV

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1976–1981

A 1970s masthead sloop with a 41% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal passages

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 moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 286
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.4
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.4
Displacement / length
286.2
Comfort ratio
26.2
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
740
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1976–1981
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.

Islander Yachts 309.02 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA raised-deck masthead sloop with a shallow 1.12-metre draft, produced briefly as a distinct variant of the Islander 29
Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising
Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull family0.5 m longerWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls moulded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine

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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