BoatsWhistler Class (Rhodes)

Whistler Class (Rhodes)

Fractional Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1949

A 1949 Rhodes Design #588 fractional sloop featuring a keel-centerboard hull for versatile shoal-water access

Designed by Philip L. Rhodes, built by Thomas Knutson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 44 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 44
CoastalBluewater

At 1.53 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.53
LightHeavy

457 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 457
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Narrower than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 277 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
33.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
Displacement / length
457.2
Comfort ratio
43.5
Capsize screening
1.53
Hull speed
6.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
929
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Wood
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1949
Designer
Philip L. Rhodes
Builder
Thomas Knutson, Knutson Shipbuilding Corp

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.

Pearson Yachts 3510.67 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterBoasting the longest production run of any Pearson model, this keel/centerboard sloop remained largely unchanged for 14 years
Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 12-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-metre draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed
Ovni 4012.60 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA 12.6-metre cutter with a high 25.21 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for agile performance during her 1984-1987
Southerly 11010.82 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel that allows for shallow-water exploration and drying out
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Tartan Marine 34 C10.49 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard hull designed for shoal water and IOR competition

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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