BoatsTrapper 500/501

Trapper 500/501

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1977–1987

A Rob Ball-designed masthead sloop sharing the proven hull lines of the C&C 27 MKI for balanced performance

Designed by Rob Ball, Camper, Nicholson & C&C Design.

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.

LivelySea-kindly

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

Comfort ratio 18
CoastalBluewater

2.13 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.13
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 212
EasygoingPowered-up

18.5 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.5
TenderStiff

48% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 48%

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
48.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.5
Displacement / length
212.2
Comfort ratio
17.6
Capsize screening
2.13
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
727
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1977–1987
Units built
600
Designer
Rob Ball, Camper, Nicholson, C&C Design
Builder
Trapper Yachts. Ltd, Anstey 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.

Hunter Marine 27-28.10 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 27-foot fractional sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
Stop Waiting — These Sailboats Are a STEAL!from Lady K Sailing
Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Sailing Savvy: How to Build a Winning Team with Jon Sverre Høiden12:45from SEILmagasinet
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
Puma 277.95 mSame hull family0.4 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
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
5 Overbuilt Hulls Proving You Don't Need a $500,000 Yacht4:53from Knot Your Average Boat
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull family0.2 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

The family

Boats like this

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

Trapper 28A C&C-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, produced internationally as the Viking 28 and Trapper 400Trapper 950An IOR Half Ton racer that began as the prototype Roller Coaster and was later produced as the Mistral 31Trapper Yachts 400A 28-foot masthead sloop with a 47% ballast ratio, designed for balanced performance in a compact, fin-keeled hullTrapper 300A Bruce Kirby-designed quarter-ton racer prototype that evolved into a versatile production cruiser with 180 builtTrapper T250An Ed Dubois-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built as the fixed-keel T250

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 Trapper 500/501

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