Cork 1720 Buyer's Guide
The Cork 1720 is a 26-foot one-design sportsboat produced from 1994 as an affordable, exciting keelboat racer, and used examples turn up most often in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland. She is a day racer first — open cockpit, minimal below — so a buyer should judge her on rig, deck logic, and hull condition rather than cruising comfort. With a lead keel and Vinylester solid hull, the class was meant to keep racing cheap and close, and the used fleet reflects that intent.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every 1720 shares the same one-design shell: an open cockpit for four or five, short guard rails that limit hiking, and a below-decks space that is essentially empty storage rather than accommodation. The hatch cannot practically be worked open, so interior access is rare while sailing. Buyers should expect the same spartan plan in any example — a winch pod with vast side stowage bins for spinnaker work, and foot braces sized for average legs but not extreme heel. There is no cruising interior to compare between boats; condition of the deck core and hull laminate is what varies.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted, and an asymmetric spinnaker is often seen, with a gennaker a less frequent owner upgrade. For a racing buyer the load-bearing items are the sail-control deck gear and the spinnaker launch bins: the open-topped side bins are a known weak point, and canvas flaps with elastic are the simple owner fix. Beyond that, the two-jib setup on a single sheet track and the deep-reef mainsail are standard; navigation and comfort kit are owner-dependent and not class-defining, so inspect what is fitted rather than expect a list.
What to Inspect
The deck fittings on the 1720 were noted as haphazardly placed, and the mainsheet and backstay cleats proved difficult from the rail and needed a foot shove haphazard positioning of the deck fittings that proved a major obstacle. Around the mast base, control lines and halyards crowd to one illogical spot, so check for chafe and tangled leads. The backstay system was judged to need a rethink to be effective, and the spinnaker bin's missing top lets the kite cascade overboard on takedown — verify any canvas remedy is sound. Foot braces hold only to moderate heel; inspect mounting wear. The solid Vinylester hull and balsa-cored deck should be checked for core issues, though the laminate was built to be tough.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets are the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland. The 1720 is a one-design racer with a lead keel and a big rig that must be sailed flat; buy for fleet racing, not cruising.
- Confirm deck fittings and mast-base lines are logical and unchafed
- Test mainsheet and backstay cleats from the rail for operability
- Check spinnaker bins for a secure top remedy
- Survey hull and balsa deck for core or laminate faults
- Accept no real below-decks accommodation
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cork 1720. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 3 | $12,909 | — |
| May 26 | 1 | $12,528 | -3.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $9,512 | -24.1% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $9,512 | 0.0% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $13,249 | +39.3% |
Where they're listed
Cork 1720 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 6 (85.7%), followed by Netherlands.
Country view
7 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $12,906 | 6 | 3 | 85.7% |
| Netherlands | $12,528 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-Boats J/70 | 22.74' | $ 44,143 | 36 | 7 |
| Kirie 720 | 24.67' | $ 12,819 | 8 | 1 |
| Tony Castro 1720You are here | — | $ 12,902 | 7 | 3 |