BoatsSunray 21

Sunray 21

Masthead Sloop · Twin keels · First built 1971

A twin-keeled masthead sloop by Arthur C. Howard, designed for shoal-water stability and easy drying out

Designed by Arthur C. Howard, built by Cobramold Ltd.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.44 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,179 kg of hull, so roughly 1,800 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 1,179 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.76 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 beamy beam gives 14 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 14
CoastalBluewater

At 2.33 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.33
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 217
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.4
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Draws less than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 665 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
44.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
216.6
Comfort ratio
13.6
Capsize screening
2.33
Hull speed
5.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
500
Hull
Hull type
Twin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1971
Designer
Arthur C. Howard
Builder
Cobramold Ltd, Sun Yachts Ltd

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.

Marieholm Boats S-206.00 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA short-run 1970s fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, designed for coastal agility
Bay Cruiser 21: Sensibility with charmfrom SEILmagasinet
Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23
Free Boat Inspection - Deck Corefrom Practical Sailor
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA legendary Rodney Johnstone design that defined the modern one-design racer with its high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
The Scariest Dangers at Sea (And How to Survive Them)31:46from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Avance Yachts 2457.48 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA Peter Norlin-designed fractional sloop with a high ballast ratio for her size, built for stability and performance
European Yacht of the Year testing in Spain0:03from SEILmagasinet
Cal 257.62 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet
Torres Strait: The Lost Files4:04from Wind Hippie Sailing
Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
How He Survived a Tropical Storm at Sea14:25from Be The Captain

The family

Boats like this

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

Sunspot 15An Arthur C. Howard-designed twin-keel masthead sloop built for shoal-water stability and easy traileringSunbeam 20A Georg Nissen-designed trailerable cruiser featuring a high-performance B&R rig and a versatile swing keel

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 Sunray 21

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