The Bristol 29.9 is an American

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminolo ...

that was designed by Halsey Chase Herreshoff as a Midget Offshore Racing Class and

International Offshore Rule The International Offshore Rule (IOR) was a measurement rule for racing sailboats. The IOR evolved from the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rule for racer/cruisers and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) rule. Rule context - past and present rating ...

racer and first built in 1977.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 212-213. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

Production

The design was built between 1977 and 1986 by Bristol Yachts in

Bristol, Rhode Island Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, US as well as the historic county seat. The town is built on the traditional territories of the Pokanoket Wampanoag. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England. The population of ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, but it is now out of production. Total production was 216 examples.

Design

The Bristol 29.9 is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

, with wood trim. It has a

masthead sloop A masthead rig on a sailing vessel consists of a forestay and backstay both attached at the top of the mast. The Bermuda rig can be split into two groups: the masthead rig and the fractional rig. The masthead rig has larger and more headsails, ...

rig, a spooned

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a vertical transom, a

skeg A skeg (or skegg or skag) is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line. The term also applies to the lowest point on an outboard motor or the outdrive of an inboard/outboard."A small fin f ...

-mounted

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

or optionally, a stub keel and centerboard. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. The keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of , while the centerboard-equipped version has a draft of with the centerboard extended and with it retracted. A taller rig for use in areas with lighter winds was an option. The tall mast was about taller than standard. The design was initially fitted with a

Universal Atomic 4 The Universal Atomic 4 is a four-cylinder, gasoline engine produced by the Universal Motor Company between 1949 and 1984 for use as auxiliary power on sailboats. Both and versions of the engine were produced. Over 40,000 of the engines were pro ...

gasoline engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends (such as ''E ...

, but this was replaced in production by a

Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, cons ...

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

of . Later a Universal diesel engine of was used. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . The boat had two factory cabin layouts that were available, differing in the galley location. Both galley layouts have a stainless steel sink and a two-burner stove. The head has a privacy door and is located forward, just aft of the bow "V"-berth. Additional sleeping space is provided by the dinette settee, a second settee and an aft berth, for a total sleeping accommodation for six people. Interior wood trim is mahogany while the cabin sole is

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...

. Ventilation is provided by a scoop-type ventilator forward of the mast, a skylight hatch over the cabin table and a second hatch above the forward cabin. There are ten cabin ports. The boat has jiffy reefing

genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

tracks and four cockpit winches. The

mainsheet traveler A traveller is a part of the rigging of a boat or ship that provides a moving attachment point for a rope, sail or yard to a fixed part of the vessel. It may take the form of anything from a simple ring on a metal bar or a spar to, especially in a ...

is mounted on the cabin top. The design has a

PHRF Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other. The aim is to cancel out the inherent advantages and disadvantages ...

racing average handicap of 193.

Operational history

In a 2005 review in ''Good Old Boat'' magazine, writer Karen Larson, described the design, "the 29.9 was designed to race under the International Off-shore Rule (IOR) and Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) rules, but people soon realized that it made a better cruiser than racer. At 29 feet 11 inches with a 10-foot 2-inch beam and displacing 8,650 pounds with 3,600 pounds of ballast, it was called “less-than-sprightly” by Practical Sailor." Jack Hornor, reviewing the design in 2017, in ''The Spinsheet'', noted, "owners report a well mannered boat and general satisfaction with her speed and performance. There is a large rudder that provides a responsive helm and a good sized skeg forward of the rudder for good directional control and to aid in keeping those pesky crab pots off the propeller. I would expect that, with a ballast/displacement ratio of 42%, a relatively wide beam of 10’ 2" and a conservative sail/displacement ratio of 14.8, this is a boat that would stand up to a blow quite well. On the other hand, we sail here on the Chesapeake where summertime winds are often light. I would think a good light air number one genoa would be essential equipment around here."

References

{{Bristol Yachts Keelboats 1970s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Halsey Herreshoff Sailboat types built by Bristol Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References