BoatsWilderness 21

Wilderness 21

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1978

A high-performance fractional sloop by Chuck Burns with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited sailing

Designed by Chuck Burns.

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.

TrailerableBeam 2.21 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 848 kg of hull, so roughly 1,450 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 11 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 11
CoastalBluewater

At 2.36 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.36
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 149
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 22.0
TenderStiff

57% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 57%

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

  • Lighter than ~78% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 634 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
57.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
22.0
Displacement / length
149.3
Comfort ratio
11.1
Capsize screening
2.36
Hull speed
5.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
460
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1978
Units built
80
Designer
Chuck Burns
Builder
Wilderness Boat Works

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.

Bavaria Yachts 6066.50 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA lightweight 6.5-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited coastal sailing
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/226.86 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Rod Johnstone, built for competitive one-design racing and day sailing
Santana 206.16 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop with a 1996 deck redesign that added an open transom and a roomier cockpit
J Boats J/706.93 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Alan Johnstone, with over 1,100 units delivered for one-design racing
J J/77.04 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 2024 fractional sloop with a shallow 1.16m draft and a high 23.55 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive daysailing
Sirius 7277.27 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA development of the Sirius 24, this fractional sloop features a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder for balanced handling

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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