The Stiletto 27 is an American
trailerable catamaran
A Formula 16 beachable catamaran
Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States
A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stab ...
sailboat that was designed by
Bill Higgins and
Don Ansley as a racer/cruiser and first built in 1976.
[Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 184-185. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ]
The design was originally marketed by the manufacturer just as the Stiletto, but later became the Stiletto 27 to differentiate it from the later 1983
Stiletto 30 and 1985
Stiletto 23 designs.
Production
The design was built by
Stiletto Catamarans (a division of
Force Engineering) in the
United States. A total of 500 were built, but it is now out of production.
Design
The Stiletto 27 is a recreational catamaran, built predominantly of
fiberglass, with an epoxy and
Nomex core. It has a
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 ...
rig with a
full-roach mainsail,
raked stems, slightly
reverse transoms, transom-hung
rudders controlled by a
tiller and a single, centrally-mounted
daggerboard
A daggerboard is a retractable centreboard used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, cou ...
keel.
The racing versions are heavier and incorporate extra sails, sheet winches and a 6:1
downhaul. A
spinaker and pivoting
centerboard
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 ...
are optional for both cruising and racing versions.
The boat has a draft of with the daggerboard extended and with it retracted, allowing
beaching or ground transportation on a
trailer. For ground transport the design collapses to a width of .
Both hulls have double berths, while the port hull houses the portable
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 ...
. The starboard hull houses 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 ...
. Further sleeping space can be created with the use of a deck tent.
Access to each hull is via the raised
Lexan skylight, which are slid forward for access. Additional portlights are in the hull sides, two per hull. The boat is normally fitted with a small
outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.
headsails are optional. Other factory options include jiffy reefing, a
halyard winch,
jib sheet winches and a reduced-area cruising mainsail.
The design has a
hull speed of .
Operational history
In an account in ''Sail'' magazine published in May 1982, writer Robby Robinson describes the design's performance, "I was pleasantly surprised at Stiletto’s maneuverability. She is heavy enough (1,100 pounds) to have some carry, and the centerline daggerboard helps her spin quite nimbly from one tack to the other. Her high aspect rudders stall somewhat, especially if you're attempting to bear off without much way on. Still, she responds to sheet adjustment and rudder wriggling better than most boats, and her rapid acceleration is a real plus in tight quarters."
Variants
;Stiletto 27
:This model was designed by Bill Higgins and Don Ansley and introduced in 1976. It displaces .
;Stiletto 27 Championship Edition
:This model was designed by Bill Higgins and introduced in 1977. It displaces .
;Stiletto 27 Special Edition
:This model was designed by Bill Higgins and introduced in 1978. It displaces .
;Stiletto 27 GT
:This model two daggerboards, one in each hull.
See also
*
List of sailing boat types
The following is a partial list of sailboat types and sailing classes, including keelboats, dinghies and multihull ( catamarans and trimarans).
Olympic classes
World Sailing Classes
Historically known as the IYRU (International Yacht Racing ...
*
List of multihulls
Similar sailboats
*
F-27 Sport Cruiser
The F-27 Sport Cruiser is an American trailerable trimaran sailboat that was designed by New Zealander Ian Farrier in 1984–1985.
Production
The boat was built by Corsair Marine in the United States between 1986 and February 1997, with 450 ...
References
{{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide
Keelboats
1970s sailboat type designs
Sailing yachts
Trailer sailers
Sailboat type designs by Bill Higgins
Sailboat type designs by Don Ansley
Sailboat types built by Stiletto Catamarans