Kirby 25

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Kirby 25
Kirby 25 Sail Insignia.jpg
Kirby 25 sailboat 0854.jpg
Development
Designer Bruce Kirby
Location Canada
Year1978 [1]
No. built223
Builder(s) Mirage Yachts
Role racer
NameKirby 25
Boat
Boat weight 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 typefin keel
Ballast1,150 lb (522 kg)
Rudder(s)internally-mounted spade-type rudder
Rig
General Fractional rigged sloop
I foretriangle height26.50 ft (8.08 m)
J foretriangle base9.00 ft (2.74 m)
P mainsail luff30.25 ft (9.22 m)
E mainsail foot11.25 ft (3.43 m)
Sails
Mainsail area170.16 sq ft (15.808 m2)
Jib/genoa area119.25 sq ft (11.079 m2)
Total sail area289.41 sq ft (26.887 m2)
Racing
Class association MORC
PHRF 174 (average)
[ edit on Wikidata]

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]

Contents

Production

The boat was built by Mirage Yachts in Canada between 1978 and 1983, with 223 examples completed. [1] [2] [7]

Design

Kirby 25 Kirby 25 sailboat Dynamo Hum 1716.jpg
Kirby 25

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]

Operational history

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]

See also

Kirby 25 Kirby 25 sailboat 96 Degrees 3938.jpg
Kirby 25
Kirby 25 Kirby 25 sailboat Reklis 4568.jpg
Kirby 25

Related development

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian Yachting magazine review of Kirby 25". Canadian Yachting . Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Browning, Randy (2017). "Kirby 25 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 InterVisionSoft LLC (2017). "Sailboat Specifications for Kirby 25". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Browning, Randy (2017). "Bruce Kirby". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 Browning, Randy (2017). "Mirage Yachts Ltd (CAN) 1972-1989". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 352. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
  7. ↑ "» Owners List Kirby 25 Class Association". www.kirby25.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
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