BoatsSoutherly 420

Southerly 420

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · First built 2010

A Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430

Designed by Rob Humphreys, built by Northshore Yachts Ltd.

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

See her sail

The Southerly 420, on the water

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

Footage from Distant Shores TV

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 0.84 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 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 240
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.4
TenderStiff

30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 30%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Southerly 420, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Southerly 420 is a 12.9-meter fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed by Rob Humphreys and built by Northshore Yachts Ltd. from 2010 onward. Its variable-draft keel allows it to access shallow waters and beach in as little as one foot of water, a capability Paul and Sheryl Shard used to navigate the Crooked Acklands group in The Bahamas, grounding their Southerly 42 on a sandy shelf.0:12 The boat displaces 11,799 kg and has a 4.0-meter beam. During initial sea trials in the Solent, the Shards adjusted rigging tension after the initial stretch, a common shakedown task for new vessels.0:48 The Southerly 420 was later succeeded by the Southerly 430.

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 Southerly 420 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
29.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.4
Displacement / length
239.8
Comfort ratio
33.8
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
8.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1722
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2010
Designer
Rob Humphreys
Builder
Northshore Yachts 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.

Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration
Sailing Insights: How Jon Amtrup sails all year round! ⛵️❄️7:31from SEILmagasinet
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Ep 34 Interview with Brent0:49from Sailing Into Oblivion
Brewer 4413.41 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA stretched evolution of the 12.8 featuring a reverse transom and a versatile keel-centerboard configuration
We're FINALLY Buying Our Dream Sailboat (PART 1) | [Ep. 09]1:25from Plan-Sea
Garcia Yachts Exploration 4514.88 mSame hull family2.0 m longerA rugged aluminum cutter by Berret-Racoupeau featuring a centerboard and dual rudders for high-latitude exploration
We found OUR NEXT BOAT... but there is only one PROBLEM $$$ [Ep.93] The Bohemian Journey2:32from El Viaje de Bohemia
Ovni 45013.98 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA Marc Lombard-designed lifting keel cruiser with dual rudders, built for versatility and shoal-water exploration
5 Months to Go 😳 Solo Boat Refit Gets REAL | Cutting Windows & Major Fixes for GGR 20264:58from Golden Globe Race Official
Boreal Yachts 4714.55 mSame hull family1.7 m longerA 14.55-metre aluminium cutter with a 2.48-metre draft, optimised for high-latitude stability and blue-water performance
Ski and sail in the Lyngen area2:52from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Southerly 430A 12.86-metre evolution of the 420, pairing a deep 2.72-metre maximum draft with dual rudders for precise controlSoutherly Yachts 42/420A versatile Solent-rigged cruiser featuring a swing keel that allows for deep-water performance and shoal-draft accessSoutherly Yachts 470A 14.35-metre fractional sloop featuring a self-tacking jib and a swing keel for deep-water performance in shoal areasSoutherly 42RSTA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a swing keel and dual rudders for versatile shoal-water cruisingSoutherly 38A 2008-launched fractional sloop with a 2.59-metre maximum draft that was later rebranded as the Southerly 390

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The fleet has more to say

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