Design and Construction
The 24.4 carries a hull length of 7.35 meters and an overall length of 8.20 meters, with a beam of 2.70 meters and a cabin headroom of 1.88 meters — enough to stand in for most adults. Her keel arrangement is the defining trait: a fixed wing keel with a rotational sliding keel that draws just 0.32 meters raised and 1.36 meters lowered, the sliding portion weighing 80 kilograms atop a 450-kilogram bottom ballast. A rudder blade that lifts vertically simplifies trailering and grounding, and the relatively low superstructure keeps sightlines clear from the cockpit while sailing. The deck itself was built with safe and comfortable sailing as the design priority, and the whole package earned the Polish Chamber of Marine and Water Sports award for best product in class plus the 2018 Yacht of the Year title from the Sails and Land Rover competition.
Rig and Handling
All sail-handling lines lead to the cockpit, and the mast is fully stayed with a gate to lower it — a setup that makes the boat genuinely manageable for one person, as the builder intended. The fractional sloop rig carries 30 square meters of sail area split between an 18-square-meter main and a 12-square-meter jib, under a mast 9.50 meters above the deck. Writing in YACHT, reviewers described her as a coastal cruiser meant for calm reaches with limited air, but able to handle more breeze than her size suggests. The combination of a lifting rudder, rotating sliding keel, and cockpit-led controls explains why the builder cites easy one-person operation as her core appeal.
Accommodations
Below, the 24.4 is surprisingly complete for a 26-foot hull. The interior follows the same layout as the larger Antila 26, with space for six full-size berths, a galley, and a head. A charter version can add folding berths, and the builder notes the roomy interior is what also makes her attractive to charter operators. YACHT found she has everything needed for longer trips, and the 1.88-meter cabin height means the volume is usable rather than nominal. A spacious cockpit complements the cabin, and with rated capacity for up to eight people and a category C load limit of 950 kilograms, she is built to carry a crew comfortably inshore.
Ownership and Market Context
Rated for design category C with a six-person nominal crew and a minimum of one, the 24.4 targets private owners who want low-overhead upkeep and charter outfits who want volume. The recommended outboard is 4–6 horsepower with an 8-horsepower maximum, keeping propulsion simple and cheap to maintain. Production began in 2017; the sources do not state an end year.
The Verdict
The Antila 24.4 is a thoughtful small cruiser that punches above its length in livability and trailering ease. The sliding keel and lifting rudder make her a practical inland-waterway tourer, while the cockpit-led rig and mast gate let a single owner manage her without a crew. She is not a bluewater design, but for sheltered sailing with friends or family she is well resolved.
Pros
- Six full berths, galley, and head in a 26-foot hull with standing headroom
- Sliding keel and lifting rudder for shallow draft and easy trailering
- All sail controls to the cockpit with 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
- Light-wind, few-wave design brief limits her rough-water range
