Sailmaster 26
Description
The Sailmaster 26 is a classic Dutch-American trailerable coastal cruiser-racer sailboat designed by William H. Tripp Jr. (of Columbia Yachts fame) and introduced in 1963. Originally built in the Netherlands by Werf Gusto in Schiedam (and sometimes De Vries Lentsch in Amsterdam), it was imported to the US and finished by Sailmaster Yachts at their Shelter Island, NY yard. Some European models were completed entirely in Holland. Production ended around 1969, with about 120 units built overall—making it a limited-run vintage design. It's essentially a rebadged Seafarer Polaris in the US market, known for its masthead sloop rig, full keel/centerboard configuration, and balanced handling suited for daysailing, club racing, or short coastal hops on bays like Chesapeake or Long Island Sound. Owners appreciate its sturdy fiberglass construction, stable motion in moderate winds, and ease of trailering, but note it's underpowered in light air (needs >6 knots wind) and feels dated compared to modern 26s like the Catalina 26. Variants include the Sailmaster 26D (Daysailer, larger cockpit) and 26W (Weekender, more cabin space).
Construction Details
| Designer | William H. Tripp |
|---|---|
| Builder | Sailmaster Yachts |
| Length | 26.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 28.10 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9.30 ft |
| p | 24 ft |
| e | 12 ft |
| p2 | 27.50 ft |
| e2 | 10.42 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.10 ft | 9.30 ft | 24 ft | 12 ft | 27.50 ft | 10.42 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 24 ft - (7315 mm) |
| Foot | * 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.29 ft - (8013 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 26.46 ft - (8065 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 148.334 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 23.68 ft - (7218 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.39 ft - (3776 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.46 ft - (6236 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.7 ft - (3261 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 126.72 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 28.12 ft - (8571 mm) |
| Foot | * 15.08 ft - (4596 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.38 ft - (8041 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.95 ft - (4252 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 196.12 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 28.12 ft - (8571 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 16.74 ft - (5102 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.74 ft - (5102 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 400 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.