The result is a modest, light-displacement monohull with a clear dual purpose: race-bred proportions and a fractional sloop rig paired with a cruising interior that sleeps five.
Design and Construction
The Captiva 240 is 24 feet long, with a 20-foot waterline and an 8.16-foot beam. She displaces just 2,400 pounds, including 1,000 pounds of ballast. That puts her at the light end of the scale for a boat with cruising equipment. Steve Henkel noted that she is relatively light, especially considering that she carries a pull-out galley, dining table, head, and sleeping accommodations for five.
The hull, deck, and hull liners were fabricated under contract by Custom Fiberglass Products of Port Richey, Florida. Captiva Yachts handled final assembly in Clearwater. Construction is predominantly fiberglass with wooden trim, using a solid build rather than a cored laminate.
Above the waterline, the Captiva 240 has a raked stem and a slightly reverse transom. Steering is by tiller through a transom-hung rudder. A fixed stub keel carries a centerboard, giving a draft of 4.67 feet with the board down and 2.0 feet with it raised. That shoal-draft arrangement suits trailering and trades little for the shoal-draft option.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Captiva 240 carries a Bermuda fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast. Rig dimensions are 31 feet for I and 8.5 feet for J, while the mainsail has a 27-foot luff and an 11-foot foot.
Total sail area is 280.25 square feet, divided between a 148.5-square-foot mainsail and a 131.75-square-foot jib. With her fractional rig and light displacement, the boat has a hull speed of 6.1 knots.
On the racecourse, her average PHRF handicap of 213 marks her as a modest performer. Henkel observed that the rating may keep her from winning as many races as she otherwise might.
For docking and maneuvering, the boat uses a small 3 to 6 hp outboard mounted on the transom, in keeping with the trailerable, beachable concept.
Accommodations and Equipment
The Captiva 240 sleeps five. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin. In the main cabin, there’s a straight settee to starboard and a drop-down dinette to port that converts into a second double berth. Headroom is 67 inches.
A sliding, pull-out galley sits to starboard, just forward of the companionway, and includes a stove and sink. The portable head is tucked beneath the V-berth on the port side.
An anchor locker in the bow, along with pulpits and lifelines all around, completes the deck and interior equipment list. For a 24-footer, it’s an unusually complete arrangement—one that reflects Scott’s racer-cruiser brief rather than the sparse interior of a stripped-out racer.
Verdict
The Captiva 240 is a compact, genuinely trailerable racer-cruiser with a complete five-berth interior. Its shoal-draft centerboard configuration adds useful versatility. The boat’s light weight and fractional rig make her an easy boat to own and launch, though the PHRF window limits her as a serious club-racing weapon.
The short production run and the builder’s quick closure mean that surviving examples are a finite, small population.
Pros
- Light 2,400 lb displacement despite full cruising equipment for five
- Centerboard raises to reduce draft to 2.0 ft for trailering and shoal anchorages
- Complete interior with a V-berth, convertible dinette, pull-out galley, and portable head
Cons
- PHRF rating of 213 restricts race-winning potential
- Only 140 were built, and the builder closed shortly after launch, limiting the boat’s support legacy
