![Prelude19 Shearwater](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Prelude19_Shearwater.jpg)
The Prelude is a small
sailing yacht
A sailing yacht (US ship prefixes SY or S/Y), is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. A yacht may be a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applie ...
, designed by
Ian Proctor
Ian Douglas Ben Proctor (12 July 1918 – 23 July 1992) was a British designer of boats, both sailing dinghies and cruisers. He had more than one hundred designs to his credit, from which an estimate of at least 65,000 boats were built. His pion ...
and built by Ridgeway Marine initially and later by Pegasus.
Dimensions
{, class="wikitable"
, +
!Dimension
!Metric
!Imperial
, -
, Length Overall (LOA)
, 5.86 m
, 19'3"
, -
, Load Waterline Length (LWL)
, 5.18 m
, 17'0"
, -
, Beam
, 2.09 m
, 6'10"
, -
, Weight
, 750 kg
, 1650 lbs
Keels
The prelude is available in three different
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 ...
configurations:
Fin Keel
The fin keel version has a draft of 1.15m (3'9")
Bilge Keel
Also known as
twin keel
Twin keels or bilge keels are two keels that emerge at an angle from the hull of a sailboat (and some ships), at or near the bilge. The angle allows the boat to have a shallower draft while still allowing for minimum leeway while sailing. The p ...
this version is easily trailerable, can be dried out and has a draft of 0.689m (2' 3")
Drop Keel
Also known as a swing or lifting keel, this version has a draft of 1.38m (4'66")
when the keel is down or 0.61m (2'0") when the keel is up.
Rigging
The Prelude has a Bermuda rig can cab be supplied as ether a Standard (
Fractional) or
Masthead rig
Accommodation
![Prelude Cabin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Prelude_Cabin.jpg)
The cabin is generous for the size of the boat; comprising 4 full sized
berths (minimum 1.86m or 6'1"),
space for a chemical toilet and a small
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 ...
area with a sink, food store and space for a 2 burner hob.
The Prelude Owner Association
Th
Prelude Owners Associationis an active owners association which provides; Information on the class, a list of members boats' and there sailing areas, a gallery of photos and a forum of members who provide advice relating to the sailing and maintaining of Preludes.
External links
The Original Prelude Brochure
References
Boats designed by Ian Proctor