Olson 25

Olson 25

Development
Designer	George Olson
Location	United States
Year	1984
No. built	130
Builder(s)	Pacific Boat Works Ericson Yachts
Role	Racer-Cruiser
Name	Olson 25
Boat
Boat weight	2,900 lb (1,315 kg)
Draft	4.50 ft (1.37 m)
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	25.00 ft (7.62 m)
LWL	21.50 ft (6.55 m)
Beam	9.00 ft (2.74 m)
Engine type	outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	fin keel
Ballast	1,300 lb (590 kg)
Rudder(s)	internally-mounted spade-type rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	32.00 ft (9.75 m)
J foretriangle base	9.58 ft (2.92 m)
P mainsail luff	28.00 ft (8.53 m)
E mainsail foot	10.00 ft (3.05 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	140.00 sq ft (13.006 m2)
Jib/genoa area	153.28 sq ft (14.240 m2)
Total sail area	293.28 sq ft (27.247 m2)
Racing
Class association	MORC
PHRF	159

The Olson 25 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by George Olson as a one design and Midget Ocean Racing Club racer-cruiser and first built in 1984. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Production

The design was initially built by Pacific Boat Works in 1984 and later by Ericson Yachts in the United States, with 130 boats completed by 1989. It is now out of production. ^{[1] [3] [4] [5]}

Design

The Olson 25 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 2,900 lb (1,315 kg) and carries 1,300 lb (590 kg) of ballast. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the standard fin keel. ^{[1] [3]}

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. ^{[1] [3]}

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 galley is located on the port side just aft of the bow cabin and is equipped with a two-burner stove. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the starboard side underneath a seat cushion. Cabin headroom is 56 in (142 cm). ^{[1] [3]}

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker. ^{[1] [3]}

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 159 and a hull speed of 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h). ^[3]

Operational history

The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the Olson 25 Class Association. ^[6]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "this boat was designed and built in Santa Cruz, CA, a hotbed of sailboat innovation tucked along the shore of Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean. George Olson, owner of Pacific Boats, wanted to create a boat that would fast, rate well under MORC rules, look good, and be comfortable. It needed to be light in weight, but not necessarily in the extreme. When this boat came along in 1985, Santa Cruz was the center of ULDB activity. ULDB stands for Ultra Light Displacement Boat, meaning a D/L under 100. With a D/L of 135, the Olson 25 is more manageable in light air than she would have been as a strictly conceived ULDB. She was popular as a PHRF and one-design racer, especially in the Monterey Bay area, but in the downward economy, which came shortly after her introduction, business suffered, and eventually Ericson began building her until that firm too went by the wayside. Best features: An open stern makes the transom-mounted outboard engine easier to manage. A ice finish below includes Bruynzeel plywood with satin finished regina mahogany veneer, and a teak and holly cabin sole. The companionway step can do double duty as a cocktail table. A bench seat athwartships between twin Igloo coolers is a unique and handy arrangement. Worst features: None identified." ^[3]

A 2010 Sail Magazine review described the boat as, "a sporty classic [that] offers the opportunity to go back to the basics on the race course". ^[7]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Olson 25 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "George Olson 1946 - 2015". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
3. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 301. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN   978-0-07-163652-0
4. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Pacific Boat Works 1978 - 1986". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
5. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Ericson Yachts (USA) 1964 - 1990". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
6. McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Olson 25 Class Association". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
7. Staff (16 January 2010). "Olson 25". Sailing Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.