BoatsStamford One-Design

Stamford One-Design

Gaffhead Sloop · Fin Keel · 1919–1920

A rare John G. Alden gaff-rigged one-design racer commissioned for the Stamford Yacht Club in 1919

Designed by John G. Alden, built by Rice Brothers.

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 2.21 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,633 kg of hull, so roughly 2,250 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 18 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 18
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.89
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 214
EasygoingPowered-up

23.4 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 23.4
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 42%

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

  • Lighter than ~80% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~94% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1874 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
41.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaffhead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
23.4
Displacement / length
214.1
Comfort ratio
18.3
Capsize screening
1.89
Hull speed
5.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
507
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
1919–1920
Units built
11
Designer
John G. Alden
Builder
Rice Brothers

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.

Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979
Help from an old friend5:23from Sven Yrvind
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull family0.4 m longerAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9
TOP 3 Small Sailboats You Can Sail AROUND THE WORLD! Ep 331 - Lady K sailing10:23from Lady K Sailing
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement take on IOR design
Replacing Cloudy Dodger Windows for Under $200:01from Atom Voyager
Puma 277.95 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance-oriented coastal cruising
Living on a BOAT0:11from navegandoporelglobo
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Live On A Cheap and Small Sailboat! The Newport 27from Practical Sailor
Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.58.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 1980s cruiser with a 1.5-metre bulb keel and spade rudder, designed for a balanced, stable coastal experience
Tone 2.0: Sailing towards the roots in the north for a new start | Bearing on Sailing8:37from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Triangle One-DesignA high-performance John G. Alden fractional sloop designed in 1926, featuring a stiff fin keel and classic racing linesAlden O Class MK IIA fractional sloop designed in 1925 that remains an active one-design racer on St. Regis LakeNantucket One-Design (Indian)A John G. Alden fractional sloop designed as a one-design class, evolving from his earlier Jamestown and Indian modelsAlden 32 Motor SailerOriginally known as the Winsome Class, this masthead sloop features a long keel and was available in both sloop and ketchSeawanhaka One-Design (S&S)Commissioned in 1939 for the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, this narrow-beamed fractional sloop raced as a class into the late

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 Stamford One-Design

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