Kirby_25
Kirby 25
Sailboat class
The Kirby 25 is a Canadian trailerable sailboat, that was designed by Bruce Kirby as a racer and first built in 1978. The design is out of production.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Bruce Kirby |
| Location | Canada |
| Year | 1978[1] |
| No. built | 223 |
| Builder(s) | Mirage Yachts |
| Role | racer |
| Name | Kirby 25 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,150 lb (1,429 kg) |
| Draft | 4.17 ft (1.27 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fibreglass |
| LOA | 25.17 ft (7.67 m) |
| LWL | 20.75 ft (6.32 m) |
| Beam | 8.75 ft (2.67 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel |
| Ballast | 1,150 lb (522 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | internally-mounted spade-type rudder |
| Rig | |
| General | Fractional rigged sloop |
| I foretriangle height | 26.50 ft (8.08 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 9.00 ft (2.74 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 30.25 ft (9.22 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 11.25 ft (3.43 m) |
| Sails | |
| Mainsail area | 170.16 sq ft (15.808 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 119.25 sq ft (11.079 m2) |
| Total sail area | 289.41 sq ft (26.887 m2) |
| Racing | |
| Class association | MORC |
| PHRF | 174 (average) |
The boat was built by Mirage Yachts in Canada between 1978 and 1983, with 223 examples completed.[1][2][7]
In the 1970s the most competitive racing sailboat in PHRF and Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) competition was the J/24. Mirage Yachts owner Dick Steffen originally wanted to build the J/24 in Canada, but a deal with Johnstone could not be reached. Steffen instead commissioned Kirby to design a new boat to beat the J/24 and the resulting design was the Kirby 25.[1][5]
The Kirby 25 is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass. It has a fractional sloop rig, an internally-mounted spade-type rudder and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 3,150 lb (1,429 kg) and carries 1,150 lb (522 kg) of ballast.[2][3]
The boat has a draft of 4.17 ft (1.27 m) with the standard keel and is normally fitted with a small 4 to 6 hp (3 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[2][6]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The interior is minimalist for racing and there are no provisions for a galley or head. Cabin headroom is 54 in (137 cm).[6]
The boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 174 with a high of 187 and low of 159. It has a hull speed of 6.1 kn (11.30 km/h).[3]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "More than 200 of these popular PHRF and 'half-ton rule' racers were built by Mirage Yachts in Montreal between 1978 and 1983, after Mirage owner Dick Steflin asked Bruce Kirby to 'draw me a boat to beat the J/24s.' This 'hot' boat is generally seen as competitive and relatively inexpensive compared to the J/24 ... and is suited to racers more than cruisers. Best features: Kirby 25s are spirited, fast, and agile, with a fractional rig and bendy mast, which permits precise control of sail shape. The boats are well-made, with neat and tidy liners that double as structural elements. Worst features: The number of controls—particularly the running backstays, which need to be readjusted after every tack going upwind—may put off some inexperienced sailors and relaxed cruising types. Also, accommodations below are stripped out, as becomes a highly competitive racer. The ends of the boat, both bow and stern, are off limits to heavy cruising supplies; fast boats always keep the ends light. In fact, a portable ice chest, Coleman stove, and portable plastic wash tub may be all that some hard-nosed racers will permit on board."[6]
Related development
Similar sailboats
- "Canadian Yachting magazine review of Kirby 25". Canadian Yachting. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- Browning, Randy (2017). "Kirby 25 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- InterVisionSoft LLC (2017). "Sailboat Specifications for Kirby 25". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- Browning, Randy (2017). "Bruce Kirby". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- Browning, Randy (2017). "Mirage Yachts Ltd (CAN) 1972-1989". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 352. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
- "» Owners List Kirby 25 Class Association". www.kirby25.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
Media related to Kirby 25 at Wikimedia Commons
