Design and Construction
Holman’s 29 is a masthead sloop with that long-keeled, narrow-beamed but elegant form. The hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and the boat is generally strongly built. At a displacement-to-length ratio near 406 and a ballast fraction just over 43 percent, she reads as a stiff, fast cruiser racer rather than a lightweight planing type. The clinker-derived heritage shows in her narrow, purposeful hull, and the Elizabethan Owners Association notes she is equally happy being driven hard or pottering with the family.
Rig and Handling
The 29’s masthead rig carries about 320 square feet of sail area, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of roughly 13.6 — enough to keep her lively without demanding a racing crew. Her long-keeled, narrow-beamed hull gives predictable tracking and a forgiving manner in a seaway, which is part of why period observers called her a stiff, fast cruiser racer. Holman later drew a 35-foot sister ship on the same theme, but that larger version sold in small numbers and never overshadowed the original’s reputation as a balanced coastal and offshore companion.
Accommodations
Below, the 29 is honest about her size. She is quite cramped, with four berths arranged around basic cooking and navigating areas and a separate heads compartment. Headroom under the doghouse is 5 feet 10 inches, which suits sitting height in the central shelter but not full stand-up movement elsewhere. The spaces are functional rather than generous, and the boat was clearly laid out for a small family or a racing crew that valued simplicity over volume.
Known Issues
Any surviving example has lived through six decades, and the structure demands a careful eye. Elizabethan 29s should be checked over carefully, particularly 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 fed a petrol engine, and on most yachts the whole system will probably have been replaced long ago — a buyer should not assume the as-built arrangement survives. Many Liz 29s have been modified over the years, so the configuration is often a layering of owner interventions rather than a pure 1960 specification.
Refits and Ownership
The long production span and the boat’s strong following mean many hulls carry accumulated refits. The tiny original petrol tank and associated plumbing are the most common casualty of modernization, usually swapped for diesel and larger capacity during a owner-driven rebuild. Because the design remained in production after Webster closed, later hulls may blend different eras, but the core Holman shape and the generally strong construction are constant.
The Verdict
The Elizabethan 29 is a historically significant small cruiser-racer: an early production fiberglass boat with a Holman hull that still rewards both spirited sailing and relaxed family use. She is strongly built and well mannered, but cramped and old enough to require structural vigilance. For a buyer who values lineage and character over interior volume, she represents good value for money.
Pros
- One of the first production GRP designs and Webster’s first boat
- Stiff, fast cruiser-racer equally suited to hard sailing or family pottering
- Generally strongly built solid fiberglass hull and deck
- Predictable long-keel handling
Cons
- Quite cramped accommodation with only 5ft 10in headroom under doghouse
- Mast step, hull-deck joint and chainplates need careful inspection
- Original tiny petrol fuel system likely replaced and not as built
- Many hulls heavily modified, obscuring original specification
