V | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Roger MacGregor |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1966 |
| Builder | MacGregor Yacht Corporation |
| Role | Racer-Cruiser |
| Name | Venture 21 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 1,500 lb (680 kg) |
| Draft | 5.50 ft (1.68 m) with keel down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 21.00 ft (6.40 m) |
| LWL | 18.50 ft (5.64 m) |
| Beam | 6.83 ft (2.08 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | swing keel |
| Ballast | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| Rudder | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Cutter rig |
| I foretriangle height | 24.08 ft (7.34 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 7.67 ft (2.34 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 21.83 ft (6.65 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 9.75 ft (2.97 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | cutter rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 106.42 sq ft (9.887 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 92.35 sq ft (8.580 m2) |
| Total sail area | 198.77 sq ft (18.466 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 252 |
The Venture 21 is an American trailer sailer built from 1966 [1] [2] [3] to 1979. It was the first monohull boat produced by MacGregor Yacht Corporation. [1] [3] [4]
It was designed by Roger MacGregor as part of his Stanford University Master of Business Administration degree program, with a prototype built in 1965 and then put into production. [5]
Boat reviewer Darrell Nicholson noted, "capitalizing on the fiberglass revolution in boatbuilding, MacGregor’s business-school project sparked a pivotal marketing shift that helped bring recreational sailing to mainstream America". [5]
It was developed into the MacGregor 21 in 1980. [1] [3] [6]
It is has a fiberglass hull. Early production boats had a plywood-cored deck, while later ones were balsa-cored. It has a cutter rig, a spooned raked stem, a slightly angled transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a swing keel. It displaces 1,500 lb (680 kg) and carries 400 lb (181 kg) of iron ballast. [1] [3]
The boat has a draft of 5.50 ft (1.68 m) with the keel extended and 1.50 ft (0.46 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer. [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. Cabin headroom is 48 in (122 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 252 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h). [3]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "best features: Price (on the used market, of course, since this design is no longer made) is below her comp[etitor]s, reflecting an ultra-low price when she was new—and perhaps some perceptions of the level of construction quality. Worst features: Headroom is lowest of the group of comp[etitor]s. Motion Index is worst of the group (though all her comp[etitor]s are so low it doesn't make much difference). Her Space Index is also at the bottom of the list. Her cast iron keel, like that on her comp[etitor]s, is a maintenance chore, since it eventually begins to need frequent attention to keep rust at bay. Hardware is not as high quality as her comps." [3]
In a 2011 used boat review in Practical Sailor, Darrell Nicholson wrote, "with two quarter berths and a V-berth, the Venture 21 technically could sleep four, but this sort of arrangement probably would be brief and acrimonious. Although you could pack a lot of gear under the cockpit, actual locker storage is limited. Some ambitious owners have added sinks, small galleys, 12-volt systems, and port-a-potties below, but the boat’s cramped headroom restricts its suitability for more than a few days of cruising. For the 20-something adventurer with aspirations of camp-cruising on one of America’s many inland lakes, it will do just fine, but more than a couple of days aboard a boat this size will be a sure test of any marriage." [5]