BoatsMerit 25

Merit 25

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1978

A fractional-rigged 25-footer with a light displacement and high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive sailing

Designed by Paul Yates.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Merit 25, on the water

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

Footage from Wicked Salty

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 1,315 kg of hull, so roughly 1,900 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 13 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 13
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.25
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 162
EasygoingPowered-up

21.7 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 21.7
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

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

  • Lighter than ~79% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1460 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Merit 25, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Merit 25 is a Paul Yates-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built by Merit Marine Inc. from 1978 to the present. It measures 7.47 meters LOA, with a 2.44-meter beam, 1.22-meter draft, and 1315 kg displacement. Aboard *Wicked Salty*, a Merit 25 secured first place in a summer sailing race, outperforming a Catalina and a J/24 on corrected time.8:22 The crew operated with a reduced team, requiring one sailor to manage both sheet trimming and bow duties.9:34 The Merit 25's race handicap rating added approximately 40 seconds per mile compared to a Sabre 34.9:14

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
36.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.7
Displacement / length
161.8
Comfort ratio
13.2
Capsize screening
2.25
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
572
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1978
Units built
780
Designer
Paul Yates
Builder
Merit Marine Inc

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.

Beneteau First 2357.11 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a light displacement and high sail area ratio
Sailing is Not Expensive - Full Cost Breakdown - ep 2813:07from Lady K Sailing
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
Everything You Think About Sailing Is Wrong3:59from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Gilbert Marine Tequila7.20 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop that claimed the 1971 Quarter Ton Cup with her prototype performance
Lost at Sea Sailing Couple From YouTube Dies in Life Raft - Ep 307 - Lady K Sailing0:45from Lady K Sailing
Sirius 7277.27 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA development of the Sirius 24, this fractional sloop features a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder for balanced handling
Two Different Ways Sailing Changes Lives | #SAL #2510:15from Hashtag Sal
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
Don't Make The Same MISTAKE We Did [Ep.28]9:27from Sailing Oceanaire | Wik & Rox
San Juan 247.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Kirby-designed IOR quarter-tonner that balances competitive racing pedigree with a stable masthead sloop rig
Junk Sailboat, or Great Cheap Boat? - Ep 302 - Lady K Sailing0:46from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Merit 22A Paul Yates-designed masthead sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited club racingMerit 28A rare Nelson Marek masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio, of which only two were ever builtMercury 18A pioneering one-design plywood sloop from 1939 that remains a lively, high-performance racer todayElite 25A Joubert-Nivelt fractional sloop designed for performance with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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