Irwin 43
Description
The Irwin 43 Mk I is a fiberglass center-cockpit cruising sailboat designed by naval architect Ted Irwin and built by Irwin Yachts from 1971 to the mid-1970s. Primarily offered as a ketch rig (with sloop and yawl options), it was engineered for coastal and moderate offshore cruising, emphasizing spacious interiors, stability, and ease of handling for families or liveaboards. The Mk I version features a more traditional, charter-oriented layout compared to later marks, with a focus on comfort over high performance. It's suitable for passages like Florida to the Bahamas but requires upgrades for serious blue water use due to its age and construction. A fixed keel or keel/centerboard version was available, with around 100-200 hulls produced across the Mk I series.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 51 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 17.50 ft |
| p | 44.75 ft |
| e | 19 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 ft | 17.50 ft | 44.75 ft | 19 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 44.75 ft - (13640 mm) |
| Foot | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.72 ft - (14545 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 434.77 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 43.14 ft - (13149 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.46 ft - (7151 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.02 ft - (11284 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.12 ft - (6133 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 433.99 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 51.22 ft - (15612 mm) |
| Foot | * 28.5 ft - (8687 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.95 ft - (14615 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 26.25 ft - (8001 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.97 ° |
| Area | * 672.31 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 53 ft - (16154 mm) |
| Foot | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Leech | 49 ft - (14935 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1153 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.