The builder’s design brief favors light-air sailing. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio just over 20 supports that emphasis, while 1,168 pounds of lead ballast in a displacement of 3,968 pounds produces a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 29 percent.
Design and Construction
The Antila 24.4 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck. Hull length is 7.35 meters, while overall length is 8.20 meters. She has a beam of 2.70 meters, or 8.86 feet, and cabin headroom of 1.88 meters—enough for most adults to stand below.
Her defining feature is a fixed wing keel combined with a rotational sliding keel. Draft ranges from just 0.32 meters with the sliding keel raised to 1.36 meters with it lowered. The sliding section weighs 80 kilograms, while bottom ballast is 450 kilograms.
The outboard rudder blade lifts vertically, simplifying trailering and grounding. A relatively low superstructure also preserves clear sightlines from the cockpit while sailing. The deck was designed with safe, comfortable sailing as a priority.
The complete package earned the Polish Chamber of Marine and Water Sports award for best product in its class. It also received the 2018 Yacht of the Year title in the Sails and Land Rover competition.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 30 square meters of sail: an 18-square-meter mainsail and a 12-square-meter jib. The mast rises 9.50 meters above the deck and is fully stayed, with a gate that allows it to be lowered.
All sail-handling lines lead back to the cockpit. Together, the cockpit-led controls, lowering mast, lifting rudder, and rotating sliding keel support the builder’s claim that the boat is genuinely manageable by one person.
Writing in YACHT, reviewers described the Antila 24.4 as a coastal cruiser meant for calm reaches with limited air, though they found she could handle more breeze than her size might suggest.
Accommodations and Crew Capacity
Below, the Antila 24.4 is unusually complete for a 26-foot hull. Her interior follows the same layout as the larger Antila 26, with six full-size berths, a galley, and a head. The charter version can add folding berths.
YACHT found that she had everything needed for longer trips. The 1.88-meter cabin height makes the available volume genuinely usable rather than merely impressive on paper. The builder also identifies the roomy interior as a reason the boat appeals to charter operators.
A spacious cockpit complements the cabin. The boat is rated to carry up to eight people, with a category C load limit of 950 kilograms. Her nominal crew is six, with a stated minimum of one.
Ownership and Market Context
The Antila 24.4 carries a design category C rating. She is intended for private owners seeking low-overhead upkeep as well as charter operators who prioritize interior volume.
Recommended auxiliary power is a 4–6-horsepower outboard, with an 8-horsepower maximum. This arrangement keeps propulsion simple and inexpensive to maintain.
Production began in 2017. The available sources do not state an end year.
Verdict
The Antila 24.4 is a thoughtful small cruiser with more living space than her length might suggest and a practical setup for trailering. Her shallow-draft sliding keel and lifting rudder suit inland-waterway touring, while the cockpit-led rig and mast gate allow a single owner to manage her without a crew.
She isn’t a bluewater design. For sheltered sailing with family or friends, however, she is well resolved.
Pros
- Six full-size berths, a galley, and a head in a 26-foot hull with standing headroom
- Sliding keel and lifting rudder for shallow draft and easier trailering
- All sail controls led to the cockpit, plus a lowering mast gate for single-handed use
- Award-winning design with class-leading accommodation for her size
Cons
- Rated only for design category C—inland and sheltered water, not offshore sailing
- Light-wind, few-wave design brief limits her rough-water range
