BoatsMcVay Fiberglass Yachts Minuet

McVay Fiberglass Yachts Minuet

Fractional Sloop · Fin Keel · 1967–1987

A slender, high-performance fractional sloop with a 42% ballast ratio that served as the design basis for the Victoria 18

Designed by G. William McVay Sr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.65 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 454 kg of hull, so roughly 1,050 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 454 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.89 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 11 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 11
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.17
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 211
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 20.3
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Lighter than ~91% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~99% of boats her size on file

Compared with 305 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
42.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.3
Displacement / length
211.4
Comfort ratio
11.2
Capsize screening
2.17
Hull speed
4.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
248
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1967–1987
Designer
G. William McVay Sr
Builder
McVay Fiberglass Yachts

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.

Leisure Yachts 175.18 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA prolific twin-keel masthead sloop designed for shoal water, with thousands produced across three decades
This 17ft boat is going to cross the Atlantic!0:03from practicalboatowner
Abbott Boats Inc. Yngling6.35 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 6.35-metre fractional sloop that served as the Olympic class for women sailors from 2004 through 2008
Lise Landmark - 45 years in the service of sailing5:55from SEILmagasinet
Borge Bringsvaerd Bb116.18 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Norwegian-built classic with an active class association that has raced continuously since the 1960s
Join us inside the Dragon's Lair: 11 Dragons and a handful of fast cars13:53from SEILmagasinet
Com-Pac Yachts 195.79 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Robert K. Johnson-designed masthead sloop built for shoal-draft gunkholing with a stable 40% ballast ratio
Com-Pac Sailboats - Everything You Need to Know4:40from Practical Sailor
Rio 206.10 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA lightweight, high-performance masthead sloop designed by Roberto Barros with a lively sail area-to-displacement ratio
João Basilio: Sea Scout Antonina8:03from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
How He Survived a Tropical Storm at Sea14:25from Be The Captain

The family

Boats like this

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

Victoria Yachts 18A fractional sloop derived from the Minuet, featuring a long keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratioMouette 19A lightweight centreboard dinghy with a high sail area to displacement ratio, designed for spirited fractional sailingMcVay Fiberglass Yachts Falcon 16A prolific centreboard dinghy with nearly 1000 built, designed for class racing with a spinnaker

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the McVay Fiberglass Yachts Minuet

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