New Horizons 26

New Horizons 26

Development
Designer	Sparkman & Stephens
Location	United States
Year	1958
No. built	175
Builder(s)	Ray Greene & Company
Name	New Horizons 26
Boat
Displacement	6,030 lb (2,735 kg)
Draft	6.42 ft (1.96 m) with centerboard down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	25.42 ft (7.75 m)
LWL	21.25 ft (6.48 m)
Beam	7.75 ft (2.36 m)
Engine type	outboard motor or Universal Atomic 4 25 hp (19 kW) gasoline engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	modified stub long keel with centerboard
Ballast	1,600 lb (726 kg)
Rudder(s)	keel-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	32.30 ft (9.85 m)
J foretriangle base	9.80 ft (2.99 m)
P mainsail luff	28.80 ft (8.78 m)
E mainsail foot	12.10 ft (3.69 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	174.24 sq ft (16.187 m2)
Jib/genoa area	158.27 sq ft (14.704 m2)
Total sail area	332.51 sq ft (30.891 m2)
Racing
PHRF	225

The New Horizons 26 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Sparkman & Stephens as a cruiser and first built in 1958. It was Sparkman & Stephens design #1235. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The New Horizons 26 was initially marketed as the New Horizons 25. ^{[1] [3]}

Production

The boat was introduced at the New York Boat Show in 1957 and 30 boats were sold at that show, marking it as an instant commercial success for the builder, Ray Greene & Company in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The design was built starting as a 1958 model and running until about 1966, with 175 boats were completed. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

The boat was the first Sparkman & Stephens production design especially for construction in fiberglass, which was then a new material for boatbuilding. Green's company was an early adopter of fiberglass construction. ^[1]

Design

The New Horizons 26 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, an angled transom, a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed, stub, modified long keel, the retractable centerboard. It displaces 6,030 lb (2,735 kg) and carries 1,600 lb (726 kg) of ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 6.42 ft (1.96 m) with the centerboard extended and 3.00 ft (0.91 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat was factory-fitted with a Universal Atomic 4 25 hp (19 kW) gasoline engine for docking and maneuvering, but could optionally be fitted with a small 8 to 25 hp (6 to 19 kW) outboard motor. The fuel tank holds 15 U.S. gallons (57 L; 12 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 15 U.S. gallons (57 L; 12 imp gal). ^{[1] [3]}

The boat was fitted with a molded fiberglass interior, one of the first boats to have this feature. The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two quarter berths under the cockpit. The galley is located on the starboard side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a stove and a sink, with an ice box opposite, on the port side. The head is located amidships, on the port side. Cabin headroom is 74 in (188 cm). ^{[1] [3]}

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 225 and a hull speed of 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h). ^[3]

Operational history

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "She initially had reverse sheer ... but in about 1960 the sheer was flattened somewhat for aesthetic reasons. An unusual feature was a dinghy designed for the boat, to be carried on stern davits. When the larger but similar-looking Tartan 27, another S&S design, was introduced in 1961 (3 years after the New Horizons) for nearby Tartan (then known as Douglass & McLeod, in Grand River, OH), it quickly diverted customer interest from the Ray Greene boat, much to Greene's disgust. Best features: The good headroom (over six feet) is unusual for a 25-foot sailboat. We liked the idea of a dinghy in davits, too, but wonder whether it might have been ugly to look at. Worst features: We remember admiring the design of this boat when she first came out, but after owning a Tartan 27, we can see how prospective buyers would switch their allegiances to the Tartan." ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "New Horizons 26 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Sparkman & Stephens". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
3. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page XX. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
4. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Ray Greene & Co. 1947 - 1975". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2021.