Bombardier 7.6 Buyer's Guide
The Bombardier 7.6 is a Ron Holland-designed 26-foot fractional-sloop built by Bombardier Limitee in Canada from 1980 to 1983. For a shopper scanning the used market, she presents as a light-displacement coastal sailboat with a strong rig and a simple solid-glass hull, best judged on condition of deck hardware and keel attachment rather than factory options.
Layouts on the Used Market
Production ran from 1980 to 1983 with the same hull and deck mold throughout, so used examples are structurally consistent across the short run. The 7.6 carries a lead fin keel drawing 4.5 feet and a transom-hung rudder, and the broad 8.5-foot beam gives her more interior room than the length suggests. No alternative keel or cabin-layout versions were built, so buyers should not expect a shoal-draft or aft-cockpit variant in the brokerage pool.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment detail is available for the class, so buyers should treat all gear as per individual owner rather than standard. The one design constant with buyer consequence is the fractional rig, which owners often pair with a 135 percent genoa to lift the sail-area-to-displacement ratio from 21.6 to 24.6; a genoa and a serviceable winch set are the upgrades that matter most for sailing enjoyment. Beyond that, assess any navigation, canvas, or energy additions on their own merit, since none can be presumed common to the class.
What to Inspect
The published review establishes the 7.6 as a solid-fiberglass hull with a lead fin keel, which removes cored-laminate concerns but leaves the keel-to-hull joint and the transom rudder pivots as the load-bearing items to survey anchor. The capsize screening value of 2.28 confirms a coastal design intent. Verify the immersion behavior — 666 pounds per inch — by checking that the boot stripe and draft match the claimed 4.5-foot loaded draft, a quick field sign of keel integrity and honest ballast.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
No regional market data is provided, so availability cannot be characterized by area. For the walk-through, check the keel joint and rudder hardware, confirm the fractional rig and genoa gear are sound, and validate the draft against the known 4.5-foot figure. She is a clean, simple Holland coastal boat — buy the condition, not the legend.