The ETAP 23iL is a Belgian trailerable sailboat that was designed by

Jacques de Ridder Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

as a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

and first built in 1994.

Production

The design was built by ETAP Yachting in Belgium between 1994 and 1999, with 100 boats completed, but it is now out of production.

Design

The ETAP 23iL is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

glassfibre-foam sandwich construction, with wood trim. The use of foam sandwich construction makes the boat unsinkable. It has a 7/8 fractional

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

masthead sloop rig with aluminum spars, a deck-stepped mast, wire standing rigging and a single set of swept spreaders. The hull has a slightly raked stem, a plumb

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a

lifting keel A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

with a weighted bulb. It displaces and carries of cast iron ballast. The boat has a draft of with the lifting extended and with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring. The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settees in the main cabin. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located on the port side just aft of the bow cabin. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove, an icebox and a sink. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is located in the bow cabin on the port side, under the "V"-berth. The fresh water tank has a capacity of For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical

spinnaker A spinnaker is a sail designed specifically for sailing off the wind on courses between a reach (wind at 90° to the course) to downwind (course in the same direction as the wind). Spinnakers are constructed of lightweight fabric, usually n ...

of . It has a hull speed of .

Operational history

The boat was at one time supported by a class club, the ''ETAP Owners Association''. A review in ''Boat Specs'', notes "the Lifting keel version features an appendage configuration without compromise between draft and performance. Only drawback: some space is taken inside by the keel." A review in the ''Yacht Charter Guide'' described the design, "the ETAP 23iL is a very safe, fast seagoing yacht with a long waterline. It can sail superbly close to the wind and, in the hands of an experienced crew, it handles easily even in the roughest conditions. This yacht features a regatta deck which allows every manoeuvre - even reefing - to be carried out from the cockpit. Below deck there's a comfortable, luxuriously finished and almost condensation-free cabin with ample stowage space and a very convenient navigation area with a chart table and instruments' panel. The lifting keel allows the ETAP 23iL to be trailered easily..."

References

External links

{{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide Keelboats 1990s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Trailer sailers Sailboat type designs by Jacques De Ridder Sailboat types built by ETAP Yachting

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links