Bristol 28 Buyer's Guide
The Bristol Half Ton 28 is the race-bred 28-foot sibling sold as the Bristol 28, a Half Ton class sloop from Bristol Yachts in Rhode Island built between 1972 and 1974 in roughly 20 hulls. On the brokerage market it reads as a scarce, pure racer drawn by Halsey C. Chase Herreshoff — distinct from the cruiser-leaning Bristol 29.9 that followed it.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 28 was engineered as a racer rather than a cruiser, with a spartan interior subordinated to the IOR brief instead of the finished quarters of the more cruiser-focused Bristol 29.9. A viewing should confirm the structural shell — solid-glass hull, balsa-cored deck on a bolted flange — is intact; living space will be minimal by cruising standards, and any berths or galley fixtures present are likely minimal race-compliant installations rather than cruising amenities.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment tiers are carried for this model, so typical gear beyond the rig itself cannot be stated. The 28's inventory as built centered on a masthead sloop rig with a 37.5-foot I, 31-foot P, and a genoa and spinnaker for racing; any electronics, canvas, or power additions are individual to the hull and should be judged on their own condition at survey rather than assumed as standard.
What to Inspect
A survey should follow normal age-based checks for a solid-glass 1970s racer with no design-specific defects anchor: hull laminate soundness, deck-core moisture at fasteners, and chainplate attachment at the bolted hull-deck flange. The skeg-hung rudder and fin keel root deserve close attention for hairline crazing or previous repair, since racing use stressed these appendages.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats appear on the used market in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm the hull is a genuine Bristol Half Ton 28, not a Bristol 29.9
- Survey the solid-glass hull for laminate soundness
- Test the balsa-cored deck for moisture at fasteners
- Check chainplate bedding at the bolted flange
- Verify the masthead rig and racing sails are complete
- Inspect fin keel and skeg rudder roots for stress cracks
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Bristol 28. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $8,000 | — |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $85,000 | +962.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Dory 28 | 28.1' | $ 18,000 | 15 | 2 |
| Stäheli Altnau H-28 | 26.94' | $ 13,199 | 13 | 2 |
| Bristol 29.9 | 29.92' | $ 12,500 | 11 | 3 |
| Bristol 28You are here | — | $ 85,000 | 1 | 1 |