The Sabre 27 Sailboat

The Sabre 27, a masthead sloop, was designed by Alan Hill and built in the UK by Marine Construction Ltd.

A Sabre 27 sailboat in Plymouth Sound, UK

The skipper of this Sabre 27 has long-distance plans - check the windvane self-steering gear on the stern...

Published Specification for the Sabre 27

Underwater Configuration: Fin keel and skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall: 27' 0" / 8.2m

Waterline Length: 22' 2" / 6.8m

Beam: 9' 0" / 2.7m

Draft: 4' 6" / 1.4m

Rig Type: Masthead Sloop

Displacement: 6,800lb / 3,084kg

Designer: Alan Hill

Builder: Marine Construction Ltd (UK)

Year First Built: 1969

Year Last Built: 1979

Number Built: 400

Owners Association: Sabre 27 Owners' Association

Published Design Ratios for the Sabre 27

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 14.3

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: 45.6

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 279

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 23.8

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: 1.9

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

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Sabre 27

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A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 14.3 suggests that she'll need a stiff breeze to get her going. In any other conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing will be the way to go.

A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 45.6 means that she'll stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

A Displacement/Length Ratio of 279, tells us she's clearly a heavy displacement cruising boat. You can load her down with all your cruising gear and equipment and it will hardly affect her waterline. Not an ideal choice for coastal sailing, but will come into her own on an offshore passage in testing conditions.

Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 23.8 suggests that crew comfort in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

Her Capsize Screening Formula of 1.9 tells us that she would be a better choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making than one with a CS rating of more than 2.0.