Design and Construction
Feltham's 1050 carries a length overall of just over 34 feet on a 30-foot waterline, with a beam of 12 feet and displacement near 12,500 pounds. The hull is solid fiberglass with lead ballast in the bilge-keel arrangement. The displacement-to-length ratio of 207 places her among "moderate racers," and the capsize screening value of 2.07 means she would not meet the ocean-racing threshold anchor. Her motion comfort ratio is 22.4 and immersion rate about 1,255 pounds per inch.
Rig and Handling
The 1050 is a masthead sloop with jib and genoa sheets of 10.5 meters at 12 mm, a 26.2-meter mainsheet, and 23-meter spinnaker sheets, all 12 mm. The twin bilge keels hold draft to 5.5–5.8 feet depending on load, easing marina and drying-mooring access. Theoretical hull speed is 7.3 knots and wetted surface about 398 square feet.
Accommodations
Cobra offered the 1050 as fitted or bare hull/kit, so interiors vary. Tankage is 75 gallons water and 30 gallons diesel, with a single Bukh diesel inboard where fitted.
Known Issues
A boat finished by amateur hands from a kit may show uneven structural detail or aged systems, though the factory hull is straightforward solid glass. Each example should be treated as partly bespoke.
Refits and Ownership
The Bukh diesel where present has sparse modern support; the simple masthead rig is easy to re-rig using the stated sheet lengths above.
The Verdict
The Cobra 1050 is a compact British cruiser with a Feltham hull leaning slightly racer-moderate without losing composure, rewarding owners who assess kit-built interiors and value shoal twin keels.
Pros
- Twin bilge keels hold draft to roughly 5.5 feet, easing marina access
- Solid-GRP hull with lead ballast and moderate-racer displacement profile
- Simple masthead rig with known sheet dimensions for easy re-rigging
Cons
- Fewer than 100 built and builder defunct, limiting parts scale
- Kit and bare-hull history means inconsistent interior fit-out
- Bukh diesel support limited by brand's retreat
