Design and Construction
The Elizabethan 29 is a masthead sloop with a long keel and a narrow but elegant hull. She measures 29 feet overall and 20 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 7 feet 6 inches and a draft of 4 feet 2 inches. Displacement is 7,280 pounds.
Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass, and the boat is generally strongly built. With a displacement-to-length ratio near 406 and a ballast fraction just over 43 percent, she is a stiff, fast cruiser-racer rather than a lightweight planing boat. Her narrow, purposeful form reflects her clinker-built heritage.
Holman later drew a 35-foot sister ship on the same theme. The larger version sold in small numbers, however, and never overshadowed the original’s reputation as a balanced coastal and offshore companion.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig carries about 320 square feet of sail, giving a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of roughly 13.6. That’s enough to keep the boat lively without demanding a racing crew.
Her long keel and narrow beam provide predictable tracking and a forgiving manner in a seaway, helping to explain why period observers described her as a stiff, fast cruiser-racer. The Elizabethan Owners Association says she is equally happy being driven hard or pottering with the family.
Accommodation
Below, the Elizabethan 29 is honest about her size. Accommodation is quite cramped, with four berths arranged around basic cooking and navigation areas, plus a separate heads compartment.
Headroom under the doghouse is 5 feet 10 inches. This provides useful sitting height in the central shelter, but not full standing room elsewhere. The interior is functional rather than generous and was clearly intended for a small family or a racing crew that valued simplicity over volume.
Known Issues
Every surviving example has lived through roughly six decades, so the structure warrants careful attention. In particular, Elizabethan 29s should be inspected at the mast step, hull-deck joint and chainplates, where age and loading can open paths for water.
The original fuel tank was tiny and supplied a petrol engine. On most boats, the entire system will probably have been replaced long ago, usually with a diesel installation and greater fuel capacity during an owner-driven rebuild. Buyers shouldn’t assume that the original arrangement survives.
Many Elizabethan 29s have also been modified over the years. Their present configurations may therefore reflect layers of owner intervention rather than a pure 1960 specification.
Refits and Ownership
The long production run and the boat’s strong following mean that many hulls have accumulated substantial refits. The tiny original petrol tank and its associated plumbing are the most common casualties of modernization.
Because the design remained in production after Webster closed, later hulls may blend different eras. The core Holman shape and generally strong construction remain constant, but many boats have been heavily modified, making careful assessment of an individual example important.
The Verdict
The Elizabethan 29 is a historically significant small cruiser-racer: an early production fiberglass boat with a Holman hull that still suits both spirited sailing and relaxed family use. She is strongly built and well mannered, but cramped and old enough to demand structural vigilance. For a buyer who values lineage and character more than interior volume, she represents good value for money.
Pros
- One of the earliest production GRP designs and Peter Webster’s first production boat
- Stiff, fast cruiser-racer suited to hard sailing or family pottering
- Generally strong, solid-fiberglass hull and deck
- Predictable long-keel handling
Cons
- Quite cramped accommodation, with only 5 feet 10 inches of headroom under the doghouse
- Mast step, hull-deck joint and chainplates require careful inspection
- Original tiny petrol fuel system has probably been replaced, so many boats are no longer to the as-built specification
- Many hulls have been heavily modified, obscuring their original specification
