Design and Construction
Holland's path to the Eygthene began when he attended the 1972 Quarter Ton Cup regatta in La Rochelle, and he then designed and built the boat to contest the 1973 USA Quarter Ton Cup series, which she won at Weymouth, England, that same year anchor. The hull deliberately broke from the contemporary fleet by carrying very wide beam on deck while keeping normal beam at the waterline, a flared shape intended to let the crew use their weight leverage to optimum effect as the submerged lines passed through the water with minimal resistance anchor. Yachting Monthly describes the result as narrow waterline beam with aggressively flared topsides like a Merlin-Rocket dinghy, with fine ends and a narrow stern that make her less sensitive to heel angle than fat-sterned rivals anchor. She is a fairly heavy quarter-tonner, and the shallow hull, pinched ends, and narrow waterline beam that give her that distinctive profile also mean stowage below is limited anchor.
Rig and Handling
On the wind the Eygthene is a satisfying boat: the flared topsides let sitting crew exert a large righting moment on the windward rail, and thanks to her fine ends she has a very comfortable motion upwind anchor. That same geometry makes her tender on an even keel, so she likes to be sailed upright and rewards an active crew. Her narrow stern keeps her from becoming twitchy as she heels, but the trade-off shows downwind, where she is relatively slow on a run and rather rolly in a breeze. Within the quarter-ton world those habits mark her as a far better sea-boat than most, and she remains a good entry-level club racer as well as a sprightly and entertaining pocket cruiser anchor.
Accommodations
The wide-beam concept that defined the deck plan also gave the series-production Kiwi 24 cruiser-racer a very good interior for its size, and the saloon in particular benefits from the hull shape with lots of space, ample seating around a table, a separate heads, and a basic galley anchor. Berthing runs to four or five, including two quarterberths and a vee-berth in the forecabin. Fit-out was light and simple throughout, which keeps weight down but leaves the accommodations modest by modern standards anchor.
The Verdict
The Eygthene 24 is a historically significant Holland design that punches above her length as a light-air club racer and pocket cruiser. Her flared hull and fine ends deliver a comfortable upwind motion and a sea-kindly feel rare in the quarter-ton class, but the same narrow waterline and shallow hull that create that behavior limit stowage and make her tender and rolly downwind.
Pros
- World-champion 1973 quarter-tonner lineage with Ron Holland's first major design success
- Flared topsides and fine ends give a comfortable upwind motion and strong crew righting moment
- Roomy saloon and four or five berths for a 24-foot cruiser-racer
- Better sea-boat than most quarter-tonners
Cons
- Tender on an even keel and rolly downwind in a breeze
- Limited stowage from pinched ends and shallow hull
- Basic galley and light, simple fit-out
