BoatsSabre Yachts 42

Sabre Yachts 42

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1987–1989

A short-run production cruiser from the late eighties, featuring a 41% ballast ratio for stability in a 12.7-metre hull

Designed by Roger Hewson.

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

See her sail

The Sabre Yachts 42, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Palomita

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 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 214
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.1
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Sabre Yachts 42, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sabre Yachts 42 is a masthead sloop designed by Roger Hewson and built by Sabre Yachts from 1987 to 1989, featuring a fin keel with a rudder on skeg. This model measures 12.7 meters LOA, with a 3.9-meter beam, 2.1-meter draft, and 8527 kg displacement. Aboard *Sailing Palomita*, the Sabre Yachts 42 completed a six-day passage from Victoria, British Columbia, to San Francisco, California, encountering 20-to-30-knot winds and steep seas south of Punta Gorda.10:12 The crew timed their San Francisco Bar arrival with the flood tide for a smoother entry through the Golden Gate Bridge. *Sailing Palomita* later spent three weeks in San Francisco, docking at South Beach Harbor before moving to the Aquatic Park anchorage, and explored city landmarks.0:33 The vessel then sailed from San Simeon to Port St. Louis, rounded Point Conception in calm conditions, and anchored for four nights at Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands.1:36 After a medical incident on Santa Rosa Island involving a companion from a Cascade Yachts 36, the crew crossed to Santa Barbara and later departed for a 50-mile run to Redondo Beach after a wind shift made their Santa Cruz anchorage untenable.6:51

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Sabre Yachts 42 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.1
Displacement / length
213.5
Comfort ratio
27.2
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1539
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1987–1989
Units built
62
Designer
Roger Hewson
Builder
Sabre Yachts

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.

Baltic Yachts 42 DP12.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson design with a 2.41-metre draft, available in tall mast and keel-centerboard configurations.
Ep 44. Sailing La Manche La Harve Cherbourg English Channel and our first Channel Island, Aldernayfrom Sailing Northern Brees
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.8-metre cruiser featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, designed for offshore stability and speed
Back on land after nearly 3 years - nasty surprise?? Shipyard part 1/20:47from Eternal Sailing
Catalina Yachts 42 MK II12.76 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOne of the most popular sailboats in its size range, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and spade rudder
BEST Cruising Sailboat for $130,000 - Ep 324 - Lady K Sailing9:24from Lady K Sailing
Catalina Yachts 4212.76 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-volume cruiser built on a Nelson/Marek racing hull, featuring a masthead rig and a 1.83-metre fin keel
Why the Catalina 42 Took Over the Caribbeanfrom Practical Sailor
Catalina Yachts 400 MK II12.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.65-metre cruiser with a deep 2.11-metre bulb keel and a balanced displacement-to-length ratio for offshore stability
This 40 Foot Sailboat Has the Best Owner’s Bed Ever Built | Catalina 400 MKIIfrom Practical Sailor
Victoire Yachts 4212.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern evolution of the 42 Classic, featuring a redesigned deck and interior layout for contemporary cruising
QUANDO O MAR CHAMA - A travessia da regata Recife - Fernando de Noronha2:04from Bora Velejar Galera

The family

Boats like this

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

Sabre Yachts 36A 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performanceSabre Yachts 32A masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for balanced performance and stability in a mid-sized cruiserSabre Yachts 28-1A Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruisingSabre Yachts 38A masthead sloop designed for performance, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive handlingSabre Yachts 32 (Tri-Cabin)A masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, designed for balanced performance and cruising comfortSabre Yachts 28-3A short-run production of 48 hulls, offering a compact 8.66-metre footprint with a stable 40% ballast ratio

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