BoatsSabre 27 (Hill)

Sabre 27 (Hill)

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1969–1979

An Alan Hill-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, stable hull for coastal cruising

Designed by Alan F. Hill, built by Marine Construction Ltd.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Sabre 27 (Hill), on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Brothers

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 moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

1.90 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.90
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 279
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.3
TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Sabre 27 (Hill), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sabre 27 (HILL) is an 8.2-meter masthead sloop designed by Alan F. Hill and built by Marine Construction Ltd. from 1969 to 1979.3:14 It features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, a beam of 2.7 meters, a draft of 1.4 meters, and a displacement of 3084 kg. A twin keel version was also available.2:11

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

On the water

The Sabre 27 (Hill) on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen sold
1channel weighed buying one

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.3
Displacement / length
278.6
Comfort ratio
23.8
Capsize screening
1.90
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
713
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1969–1979
Units built
400
Designer
Alan F. Hill
Builder
Marine Construction Ltd

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.

Mirage Yachts 2758.38 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin keel and spade rudder
Preparing to go from Great Lakes to Blue Water Sailors. Canada to Europe, via Greenland.2:23from Sailing Northern Brees
Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971
Ep# 27 Interview with Chris2:02from Sailing Into Oblivion
Contessa 288.43 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977
How to prepare for long-distance cruising5:47from practicalboatowner
Hunter Marine 278.28 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft options
What Happened to Hunter Sailboats? The History Most People Don't Know.from All About Sailing
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising
Salt & Tar: Ep.235- Buddy Boating to the Islands (We have Friends!)8:18from Salt & Tar
Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls moulded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine
Refurbishing a Prop - Episode 22 - Free Sailboat Refitfrom Sailing Puffin

The family

Boats like this

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

Sabre Yachts 28-1A Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruisingSabre Yachts 30-1A limited 100-hull production run featuring a 1.52-metre draft and a 3900-kilogram displacement for coastal stabilitySabre Yachts 28-3A short-run production of 48 hulls, offering a compact 8.66-metre footprint with a stable 40% ballast ratioSabre Yachts 36A 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performanceSabre Yachts 30-2A short-run masthead sloop from the Sabre design team, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stability and control

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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