BoatsMaxi Yachts Fenix 8.5

Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.5

Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1981–1988

A 1980s cruiser with a 1.5-metre bulb keel and spade rudder, designed for a balanced, stable coastal experience

Designed by Pelle Petterson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.5, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

2.04 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.04
LightHeavy

193 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 193
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.5
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 35%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.5, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Maxi Yachts FENIX 8.5 is an 8.5-meter sailboat designed by Pelle Petterson and built by Maxi Yachts from 1981 to 1988. It features a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull, a 2.9-meter beam, a 1.5-meter draft, and displaces 2800 kg. Aboard SEILmagasinet, Tone Jørgensen prepared her FENIX 8.5 for a solo coastal transit from Tønsberg to Harstad, having spent two years learning to handle the vessel after purchasing it without prior sailing experience.1:31 Jørgensen overhauled the electrical system, updated navigation charts, and installed an AIS/SART beacon for the journey.11:59 She had previously configured the boat for regatta racing but reconfigured it for cruising, identifying busy harbor maneuvering as her primary concern.12:51

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

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
34.8%
Rig & sail area
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.5
Displacement / length
192.5
Comfort ratio
19.1
Capsize screening
2.04
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
811
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1981–1988
Units built
1300
Designer
Pelle Petterson
Builder
Maxi Yachts, Borjesson Brothers

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.

Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Sailing Savvy: How to Build a Winning Team with Jon Sverre Høiden12:45from SEILmagasinet
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement take on IOR design
Is This Free Classic Pearson Triton 28 Worth Refitting?0:05from Atom Voyager
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9
TOP 3 Small Sailboats You Can Sail AROUND THE WORLD! Ep 331 - Lady K sailing10:23from Lady K Sailing
Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979
Can You Do the Great Loop for $20,0004:10from Practical Sailor
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Live On A Cheap and Small Sailboat! The Newport 27from Practical Sailor
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
A little bonus episode14:04from Sailing Magic Carpet

The family

Boats like this

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

Maxi Yachts 800A lightweight 8.25-metre cruiser featuring a shallow-draft wing keel designed for easy handling in coastal watersMaxi Yachts 909A 9-metre fractional sloop with a 42% ballast ratio, designed for a stiff and responsive sailing experienceMaxi Yachts 87A 1970s masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, designed for predictable handling in a compact 8.7-metre frameMaxi Yachts 999A 9.9-metre fractional sloop featuring a 1.7-metre bulb keel and a light, performance-oriented displacementMaxi Yachts RacerA lightweight 7.95-metre fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited racingMaxi Yachts 84A 8.5-metre fin-keeler with a 45% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal sailing

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