BoatsMarieholm Boats 26

Marieholm Boats 26

Fractional Sloop · Long Keel w/trans. Hung Rudder · 1976–1987

A narrow-beamed 8-meter cruiser with a long keel and nearly 50% ballast ratio for exceptional directional stability

Designed by Tord Sunden, built by Marieholms Bruk.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel w/trans. Hung Rudder

See her sail

The Marieholm Boats 26, on the water

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

Footage from Leon Schulz, Reginasailing

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 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

At 1.64 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.64
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 300
EasygoingPowered-up

14.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

48% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 48%

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

  • Narrower than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 288 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Marieholm Boats 26, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Marieholm Boats 26 is a fractional sloop designed by Tord Sunden and built by Marieholms Bruk from 1976 to 1987. It features a long keel with a transom-hung rudder, an LOA of 8.0 meters, a beam of 2.2 meters, a draft of 1.2 meters, and a displacement of 2499 kg. Its design emphasizes heavy-weather capability and structural integrity, contrasting with modern production boats that often prioritize cockpit space and initial stability. The Marieholm Boats 26 has a comfort ratio of 27.8, indicating a relatively comfortable motion in waves.12:56

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
48.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
299.8
Comfort ratio
27.8
Capsize screening
1.64
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
520
Hull
Hull type
Long keel w/trans. hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1976–1987
Units built
260
Designer
Tord Sunden
Builder
Marieholms Bruk, Marieholm Boats

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.

Contessa 267.77 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA David Sadler-designed long-keel masthead sloop, built in both England and Canada with a 25-year production run
French canals Book0:55from Sailing Gently
Pearson Yachts-USA Triton8.63 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Carl Alberg-designed long-keel fractional sloop that pioneered fibreglass cruising and saw international production.
Shadetree Sailboat Awning0:08from Atom Voyager
Flicka 207.32 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Bruce Bingham-designed cutter with a long keel, originally offered as amateur plans before becoming a production classic
TOP 3 TINY Sailboats You Can Live On! - Ep 346 Lady K Sailing1:41from Lady K Sailing
Nor'Sea Marine 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA masthead sloop with a versatile rig and ballast configuration, designed for trailerable offshore cruising
Problems in Paradise2:15from Garrett’s Adventure
Bristol Yachts 278.28 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Carl Alberg-designed masthead sloop with a long keel, built for over a decade as a stable, traditional cruiser
Marcelo the Sailor: "I am driven by challenges"4:34from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Bristol Yachts 247.49 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA Paul Coble-designed masthead sloop with a long keel and over 50% ballast ratio for stable coastal cruising
Learning to Cross the Atlantic With Nothing but a Sextant — Sailing Yabá 2939:33from Sailing Yabá

The family

Boats like this

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

Marieholm Boats 261A 1982 Tord Sunden design featuring a long keel and transom-hung rudder for predictable handling in a compact 8-metre hullMarieholm Boats 32A 1974 Tord Sunden design featuring a fractional rig and fin keel, serving as the predecessor to the masthead 32EMarieholm Boats S-20A short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agilityMarieholm Boats 33The only Marieholm built in the Netherlands, this Lars-Olof Norlin fractional sloop features a long keel and stiff hullMarieholm Boats MS-20A 1971 fractional sloop with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, serving as the original platform for the Marieholm 20-foot series

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