Bristol 26 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Hull type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

26' · 7.92 m

Displ.

5,700 lbs · 2,585 kg

First year

1968

The Bristol 26, designed by Halsey Herreshoff and introduced in the late 1960s, represents a significant stylistic and functional departure from the company’s foundational Alberg designs. While the earlier Bristol 27 was celebrated for its traditional, heavydisplacement full keel, the Bristol 26 was engineered for the "modern" sailor of the era, prioritizing agility and speed. It serves as a bridge between the smaller Bristol 24 (originally the Sailstar Corsair) and the larger, more robust cruisers that defined the company’s midcareer output. Unlike many of its contemporaries that relied on sheer mass for stability, the 26 utilized a more refined underwater profile, making it a distinct "performance" alternative in the Bristol lineup during its production run from roughly 1968 to 1974.