BoatsIrwin Yacht 43 (1971)

Irwin Yacht 43 (1971)

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1971

A 13.26-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.44-metre draft and keel-centreboard configuration for offshore stability

Designed by Ted Irwin.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Irwin Yacht 43 (1971), on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Into the Mystic

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 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

At 1.62 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.62
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 313
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.3
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 46%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Irwin Yacht 43 (1971), as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Irwin Yacht 43, designed by Ted Irwin, is a masthead sloop with a keel/centerboard hull, built from 1971 to the present. It measures 13.26 meters LOA, with a 3.51-meter beam and a 2.44-meter draft, displacing 10,433 kg. Fixed keel and yawl rig variants were available, and a diesel engine was an optional feature. Aboard *Sailing Into the Mystic*, Tim and Jess used their 43-foot Irwin as a base for hosting friends and meeting other cruisers in the Sea of Cortez, where they observed whale sharks.7:26 They also managed laundry with a portable washing machine, connecting it to a faucet and draining it overboard.13:15

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.3
Displacement / length
313.4
Comfort ratio
38.8
Capsize screening
1.62
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1315
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1971
Designer
Ted Irwin
Builder
Irwin Yacht, Marine Corp

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA 12-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-metre draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed
OPB: Pearson 40, svMarbella, Boat Tour (Feb 2026) - For Sale!from keeldragger
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Ep 34 Interview with Brent0:49from Sailing Into Oblivion
Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration
Sailing Insights: How Jon Amtrup sails all year round! ⛵️❄️7:31from SEILmagasinet
Brewer 4413.41 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA stretched evolution of the 12.8 featuring a reverse transom and a versatile keel-centerboard configuration
We're FINALLY Buying Our Dream Sailboat (PART 1) | [Ep. 09]1:25from Plan-Sea
Southerly 42012.86 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430
Building an Aluminum Sailboat Pt 6 - Your questions answered | EP 2241:29from Distant Shores TV
Bristol Yachts 45.513.79 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a 3.35-metre keel-centerboard draft, built for deep-water cruising performance
High Stakes Rigging: Repairing the Topping Lift Aloft | (EP. 020)0:37from Plan-Sea

The family

Boats like this

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

Irwin Yachts 42A 12.8-metre masthead sloop with a 1.37-metre draft, offering a high comfort ratio for stable coastal cruisingIrwin Yachts 41A masthead ketch with a skeg-mounted rudder and shallow draft, designed for stable, long-range coastal cruisingIrwin Yachts 38-1A 1970 masthead sloop featuring a deep-draft keel-centerboard configuration and a spade rudder for shoal-water versatility

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Irwin Yacht 43 (1971), or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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