The Westerly 22 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Westerly 22, a masthead sloop, was designed by Denis Rayner and built in the UK by Westerly Marine Ltd.

'Belgian', a Westerly 22 pocket cruiser rigged for long offshore passages

Published Specification for the Westerly 22

Underwater Configuration: Bilge keel and skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall: 22' 3" / 6.8m

Waterline Length: 18' 4" / 5.6m

Beam: 7' 6" / 2.3m

Draft: 2' 3" / 0.7m

Rig Type: Masthead Sloop

Displacement: 4,150lb / 1,429kg

Designer: Denis Rayner

Builder: Westerly Marine Ltd (UK)

Year First Built: 1963

Year Last Built: 1967

Number Built: 332

Owners Association: Westerly Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Westerly 22

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.0

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: 33.3

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 228

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 17.0

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: 2.1

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 Westerly 22

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.0 suggests that she'll approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 33.3 means that a sailboat like the Westerly 22 (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 228, tells us she's a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 17.0 suggests that crew comfort in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a lightweight racing boat. Upwind she'll slam enough to shake your fillings out with a motion that cruising sailors have no desire to get used to.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.1 indicates that a Westerly 22 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.