BoatsMartin Yachts 242

Martin Yachts 242

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1980

A high-performance fractional sloop with a light displacement and powerful sail plan designed for competitive racing

Designed by Don Martin.

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 2.44 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,134 kg of hull, so roughly 1,750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 12 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 12
CoastalBluewater

At 2.36 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.36
LightHeavy

156 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 156
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 24.4
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Lighter than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1398 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
37.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
24.4
Displacement / length
156.5
Comfort ratio
11.7
Capsize screening
2.36
Hull speed
5.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
550
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1980
Units built
350
Designer
Don Martin
Builder
Martin Yachts, MG Marine

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.

Sirius 7277.27 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA development of the Sirius 24, this fractional sloop features a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder for balanced handling
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA legendary Rodney Johnstone design that defined the modern one-design racer with its high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Dehler Yachts 25CR7.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Van de Stadt-designed fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited performance
J J/77.04 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 2024 fractional sloop with a shallow 1.16m draft and a high 23.55 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive daysailing
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/808.00 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 1992 fractional sloop with a high 26.59 sail area-to-displacement ratio, engineered for rapid, agile performance
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23

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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