BoatsSailstar Boats 26

Sailstar Boats 26

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1968

A 1968 masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, later rebranded as the Bristol 26

Designed by Halsey C. Herreshoff.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 1.16 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 moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 245
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.4
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 42%

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

  • Draws less than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1703 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
42.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.4
Displacement / length
244.6
Comfort ratio
23.9
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
624
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1968
Designer
Halsey C. Herreshoff
Builder
Sailstar Boats

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.

Puma 277.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance-oriented coastal cruising
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27
Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls moulded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement take on IOR design
Puma 268.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop derived from an IOR Half Ton prototype, designed by Holman and Pye for competitive performance

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

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