Irwin 54 Sloop
Description
The Irwin 54 Sloop is a variant of the Irwin 54 sailboat, a classic cruising yacht designed by Ted Irwin and built by Irwin Yachts in the USA, starting in 1988. While the Irwin 54 is more commonly known for its cutter or staysail ketch configurations, the sloop rig is a less frequently mentioned setup, offering a simpler sail plan for ease of handling. Irwin Yachts was founded in 1966 by Ted Irwin (1940–2015), a competitive sailboat racer and designer, starting with a small 12,500 sq ft factory. The company quickly grew, expanding to over 75,000 sq ft and employing more than 200 people at its peak, producing over 6,000 fiberglass sailboats. Irwin specialized in cruising designs, many tailored for the Caribbean charter market, including popular models like the Irwin 27 (its first boat in 1967), Irwin 41 (introduced in 1982), Irwin 42, 52, 54, 65, and 68. The company was a leader in building large cruising sailboats over 50 feet, completing more than 300 such vessels worldwide. Ted Irwin served as chief designer, and his racing background influenced models like the 1980s Razzle Dazzle series, which informed cruising designs such as the Irwin 41 Citation. The Irwin 54 was part of Irwin's focus on spacious, charter-friendly cruisers in the late 1980s. Production was limited due to the company's financial challenges; Irwin Yachts filed for bankruptcy multiple times, underwent name changes (including to American Yachts), and ultimately closed in 1992 amid economic pressures in the boating industry. Ted Irwin continued designing independently after the closure until his death in 2015 from multiple myeloma.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 68.38 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 24.91 ft |
| p | 59.65 ft |
| e | 20.36 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68.38 ft | 24.91 ft | 59.65 ft | 20.36 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 59.65 ft - (18181 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.36 ft - (6206 mm) |
| Leech | * 62.08 ft - (18922 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 62.35 ft - (19004 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 619.95 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 64 ft - (19507 mm) |
| Foot | 43 ft - (13106 mm) |
| Leech | 45 ft - (13716 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 121.16 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 30.18 ft - (9199 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 25.4 ° |
| Area | * 965.91 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 58.22 ft - (17745 mm) |
| Foot | * 33.79 ft - (10299 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.45 ft - (15072 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.01 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.65 ft - (8733 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 834 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 69 ft - (21031 mm) |
| Foot | 37.75 ft - (11506 mm) |
| Leech | 64.75 ft - (19736 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 140.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 34.88 ft - (10631 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.48 ° |
| Area | * 1203.25 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 69.14 ft - (21074 mm) |
| Foot | * 41.1 ft - (12527 mm) |
| Leech | * 63.61 ft - (19388 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 2131 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 40.03 ft - (12201 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.24 ft - (5864 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.67 ft - (9653 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.02 % |
| Length Perp | * 14.95 ft - (4557 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.99 ° |
| Area | * 299.23 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.