The Feeling 720 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Feeling 720

Underwater Profile: Centre-board keel & transom-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 24'8" (7.5m)

Waterline Length: 20'6" (6.3m)

Beam: 8'10" (2.7m)

Draft: Max 4'3" (1.3m), Min 2'3" (0.7m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 3,968lb (1,800kg)

Designer: Joubert-Nivelt

Builder: Kirie Constructions (France)

Year First Built: 1982

Year Last Built: 1994

Published Design Ratios for the Feeling 720

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 21.3

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 36.1

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 206

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 15.5

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.2

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Feeling 720

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 21.3 suggests that, in the right hands, the Feeling 720 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern. 

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.1 means that a sailboat like the Feeling 720 (which doesn't have a stiffness-enhancing bulb keel), is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 206, tells us the Feeling 720 is a light to-moderate displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 15.5 suggests that the Feeling 720 will have the motion underway to that of a lightweight racing boat. Crew comfort will often be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Upwind in lively conditions the Feeling 720 will slam enough to shake your fillings out with a motion that most cruising sailors have no desire to get used to.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula of 2.2 tells us that a Feeling 720 would not be as good a choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making, owing to the increased risk of capsize in strong winds and heavy seas, when compared to a sailboat with a CSF of less than 2.0.