Weekender 24

BoatsWeekender 24

See her sail

The Weekender 24, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.91 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 934 kg of hull, so roughly 1,550 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 1.07 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 narrow beam gives 14 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 14

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.97

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 179

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 21.6

TenderStiff

54% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 54%

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

Lighter than ~91% of boats her size on file
Draws less than ~79% of boats her size on file
Narrower than ~98% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1398 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Weekender 24, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Weekender 24 is a 7.4-meter masthead sloop designed by Sparkman & Stephens (design #1701-C1) and built by Tidewater Boats since 1965. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 1.9-meter beam, a 1.1-meter draft, and displaces 934 kg. This model is a cruising variant of the Rainbow 24. Sparkman & Stephens designs from the 1970s, often influenced by International Offshore Rule (IOR) handicaps, prioritized racing performance, sometimes at the expense of stability in heavy seas.7:22 These designs, including the Hughes 35, featured short waterlines, wide beams, and significant tumblehome, which could lead to top-heavy vessels.9:18

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

54.4%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

21.6

Displacement / length

179.2

Comfort ratio

14.3

Capsize screening

1.97

Hull speed

5.6 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

385

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Iron

Production

Years built

First built 1965

Units built

60

Designer

Sparkman, Stephens

Builder

Tidewater Boats

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.

Catalina Yachts 22 MKII7.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn upgraded 1995 iteration of the classic trailerable cruiser, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24 from Lady K Sailing

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/247.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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)31:46 from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

J J/77.04 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 2024 fractional sloop with a shallow 1.16m draft and a high 23.55 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive daysailing

J7: Finally an affordable sailboat0:49 from SEILmagasinet

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/226.86 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Rod Johnstone, built for competitive one-design racing and day sailing

Sailing a J22 in Newport Beach, CA (July 2022)0:30 from keeldragger

Halcyon 236.93 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA triple-keeled masthead sloop by Alan H. Buchanan, offering shallow-draft versatility based on the earlier Crystal 23

Zero Dollar Cruising Dream | Halcyon 23 from Practical Sailor

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.27.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jacques Fauroux-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel

Sailing under asymmetric spinnaker with a Sun Odyssey1:24 from VOILIER ODIN

The family

Boats like this

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

Rainbow 24With 500 hulls produced over fifteen years, this masthead sloop features a high ballast ratio for stability S&s 24A Sparkman & Stephens keel-version of the Dolphin 24, this masthead sloop offers a stable, classic design from 1968 Seafarer Yachts 24A 7.34-metre masthead sloop available in multiple deck and interior layouts, including a trailerable swing-keel model Knockabout 24 (S&S)A cabinless Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for training at the Annapolis Sailing School and Naval Academy Pearson Yachts 26 WeekenderRebranded as the One Design in 1978, this lighter-displacement variant prioritizes cockpit space for active sailing

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