Achilles 9m
Description
The Achilles 9m (also known as the Achilles 9-meter or simply Achilles 9M) is a classic British fiberglass cruiser-racer designed and built by Chris Butler of Butler Mouldings Ltd. in Furth, near Bristol, England. Introduced in 1975, it was conceived as a seaworthy, single-handed capable offshore boat, drawing inspiration from Butler's own racing experiences. Chris Butler famously sailed the prototype single-handed in the 1975 Azores and Back Race and the 1976 Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR), proving its robustness. With a narrow hull, deep fin keel, and efficient fractional sloop rig, the Achilles 9m balances speed and stability, making it ideal for coastal cruising, short-handed passages, or club racing. Approximately 100 were built until around 1984, many as home-completion kits, leading to some interior variations. It's part of the broader Achilles family (e.g., the popular Achilles 24), known for no-reported osmosis issues due to epoxy-laminated hulls below the waterline.
Construction Details
| Designer | C. Butler |
|---|---|
| Builder | Butler Mouldings Ltd. |
| Length | 30.000 ft |
| LOA | 29.830 ft |
| LWL | 25.420 ft |
| Beam | 9.000 ft |
| Displacement | 7000 lb |
| Ballast | 2998 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 35.43 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.48 ft |
| p | 31.17 ft |
| e | 9.84 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.43 ft | 11.48 ft | 31.17 ft | 9.84 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 31.17 ft - (9501 mm) |
| Foot | * 9.84 ft - (2999 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.16 ft - (9802 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 32.36 ft - (9863 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 158.38 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 29.8 ft - (9083 mm) |
| Foot | * 15.25 ft - (4648 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.82 ft - (7870 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.21 ft - (4026 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 196.86 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.75 ft - (9677 mm) |
| Foot | 14.25 ft - (4343 mm) |
| Leech | 28.25 ft - (8611 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.42 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.68 ft - (3865 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.2 ° |
| Area | * 201.27 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 35.38 ft - (10784 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.57 ft - (5660 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.24 ft - (10132 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.22 ft - (5249 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 304.64 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 37 ft - (11278 mm) |
| Foot | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Leech | 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 555 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.