Sources & methodology

This page describes where the data in SailboatReference comes from, how values are converted and calculated, and how errors are corrected.

Data sources

  • The historical specifications in this catalogue were originally compiled from public sources, in particular sailboatdata.com, and from builders' published specifications.
  • New and announced models are added from builders' own press releases, spec pages and brochures, and from boat-show coverage; each such entry links its source.
  • Owners contribute photos and price observations, which are reviewed before publication.

Units and conversion

All values are shown in metric units: metres (m), kilograms (kg), square metres (m²), litres (L) and horsepower (hp). Source values given in imperial units are converted using these factors and rounded to two decimals:

  • 1 ft = 0.3048 m
  • 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg
  • 1 US gallon = 3.78541 L

Displacement is the light or lightship weight unless a note says otherwise. LOA (length overall) is the full length of the boat including bowsprit, pulpits and other fittings; LOD (length on deck) is the length of the hull measured on deck, excluding such overhangs.

Ratios

The ratios on a yacht page are stored with the boat; they are not recalculated by this site when the page is shown. For the historical catalogue they are the values as published by the source, and recalculation on this site is planned. The definitions below are the conventional ones used in the sailing literature.

  • Hull speed: 1.34 × √LWL (LWL in feet, result in knots). The speed at which a displacement hull's wave system makes further speed increasingly costly; a guide, not a hard limit.
  • SA/D (sail area/displacement): sail area divided by displacement to the two-thirds power (area in square feet, displacement in cubic feet of seawater). Higher means more sail for the weight; roughly under 16 is a modest cruiser, over 20 is performance oriented.
  • D/L (displacement/length): displacement in long tons divided by (0.01 × LWL in feet) cubed. Lower means a lighter boat for its length.
  • Ballast/Displacement: ballast weight as a percentage of displacement. A rough indication of stability, but it says nothing about how low the ballast sits.
  • Comfort ratio: displacement divided by (0.65 × (0.7 × LWL + 0.3 × LOA) × beam4/3), with lengths in feet and displacement in pounds. Higher values suggest a gentler motion in a seaway.
  • Capsize screening: beam divided by the cube root of displacement (beam in feet, displacement in cubic feet). Lower values are considered better for offshore use; the commonly quoted threshold is 2.0.
  • S# (stability number): a combined index of stability and sea-keeping qualities. Higher is better.
  • Immersion: the weight needed to sink the boat one centimetre deeper at its waterline. It is stored in pounds per inch and shown here in kg/cm.

Review process

Every bot submission, change proposal, image and price is approved by a person before it is published. See About for who does the reviewing.

Corrections

If you spot an error, tell us through the contact form and include a source if you have one. Confirmed errors are fixed and the change is logged.

Independence

SailboatReference is independent and not affiliated with any builder or with sailboatdata.com.