BoatsSwift 18

Swift 18

Fractional Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1981

A high-performance fractional sloop designed by Colin Silvester, originally conceived for aluminum before moving to fiberglass

Designed by Colin Silvester.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.41 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 658 kg of hull, so roughly 1,250 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 658 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 0.23 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 8 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 8
CoastalBluewater

At 2.80 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.80
LightHeavy

149 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 149
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 24.9

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

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

Compared with 391 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
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
24.9
Displacement / length
148.7
Comfort ratio
8.4
Capsize screening
2.80
Hull speed
5.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
462
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1981
Designer
Colin Silvester
Builder
Swift Boats Ltd, John Charnley Associates, Honnor Marine 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.

RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.9 m longer
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI
O'day 226.61 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing
Microtonner 195.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Nestor Volker to the International Micro Class rule for competitive racing
I Met the Man Who Puts Sailboats Inside the São Francisco River | #SAL #4256:23from Hashtag Sal
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
The History of Beneteau Boats11:37from Practical Sailor
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Become a Successful Sailing Youtuber - ep 338 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

G. Prout SwiftA 1954 fractional sloop catamaran with a high power-to-weight ratio, originally offered as a kit or finished boatJohnson 18A high-performance fractional centerboard dinghy designed by Rodger Martin, later produced by Catalina YachtsCatalina Yachts 18A lightweight trailer-sailer with a 0.71-metre wing keel, optimised for stability and access to shallow cruising grounds

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 Swift 18

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