Irwin 28
Description
The Irwin 28 is a fiberglass masthead sloop designed by naval architect Ted Irwin and built by Irwin Yachts from 1970 to 1980. One of Irwin's early and most popular small cruisers, it was engineered for affordable coastal and day sailing, offering a spacious interior relative to its size for weekend family use or novice sailors. With a moderate displacement hull and options for fixed keel or keel/centerboard, it's versatile for protected waters like bays, lakes, or short coastal runs (e.g., Florida Keys), but not ideal for blue water without modifications due to its lighter construction. The design evolved through four marks (Mk I-IV), with changes to the rig, interior, and keel for improved performance and comfort. Approximately 200-300 hulls were produced, making it a niche classic today. 7900 lbs. Disp. 3000 lbs. Ballast 22'5" LWL 9' Beam 4'6" Draft
Construction Details
| Designer | Ted Irwin |
|---|---|
| Builder | Irwin Yachts |
| Length | 28.420 ft |
| LOA | 28.000 ft |
| LWL | 22.500 ft |
| Beam | 8.000 ft |
| Displacement | 7900 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 35.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 31.25 ft |
| e | 12.25 ft |
| p2 | 28.25 ft |
| e2 | 9.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.50 ft | 11.50 ft | 31.25 ft | 12.25 ft | 28.25 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.25 ft - (9525 mm) |
| Foot | 12.25 ft - (3734 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.29 ft - (10147 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 89.67 ° |
| Diagonal | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 196.59 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Foot | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Leech | 28.5 ft - (8687 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 122.35 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.07 ft - (4289 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.39 ° |
| Area | * 210.98 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Foot | 12.83 ft - (3911 mm) |
| Leech | 28.75 ft - (8763 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 100.17 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.52 ft - (3511 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.21 ° |
| Area | * 184.25 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
| Foot | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 139.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.99 ft - (4874 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 1.93 ° |
| Area | * 267.79 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Foot | 18.25 ft - (5563 mm) |
| Leech | 34.83 ft - (10616 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.52 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.31 ft - (5276 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 0.5 ° |
| Area | * 311.61 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Foot | 19.33 ft - (5892 mm) |
| Leech | 32.33 ft - (9854 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150.26 % |
| Length Perp | * 17.28 ft - (5267 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.71 ° |
| Area | * 310.96 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 35.45 ft - (10805 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.97 ft - (5782 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.61 ft - (9940 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 504 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 35.45 ft - (10805 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 624 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 20.52 ft - (6254 mm) |
| Foot | * 8.63 ft - (2630 mm) |
| Leech | * 16.82 ft - (5127 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.9 ft - (2103 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.95 ° |
| Area | * 70.81 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.