Design and Construction
The Freedom 29 has a solid fiberglass hull, a fin keel, and 3,000 pounds of lead ballast in a 7,500-pound hull. Displacement is a modest 7,500 pounds on a 10-foot beam. Her length-to-beam ratio of 2.88 places her among the roomier 73 percent of comparable designs, according to the Yacht Database review.
The 40-percent ballast ratio is higher than that of 46 percent of similar boats. A displacement-length ratio of 214 puts her among “moderate racers” rather than heavy cruisers.
Her wetted surface is about 290 square feet. An immersion rate of 877 pounds per inch indicates how firmly she sits to her lines as load comes aboard.
The reviewing publication uses a capsize screening value of 2.06 as its cutoff for ocean-race eligibility. On that measure, the Freedom 29 wouldn’t be accepted to participate in ocean races.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Freedom 29 carries a fractional rig with 332 square feet of mainsail-and-jib area. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 13.9 using the ISO reference sail and 15.5 with a 135 percent genoa.
Against comparable boats, she’s slightly underrigged. The review found that she carries more rig than only 31 percent of similar sailboats, while her SA/D profile makes her faster than 24 percent of comparable designs in light wind.
Rigging dimensions are fully specified. The main, jib, and spinnaker halyards are each 90.6 feet long and 5/16 inch in diameter. Jib and genoa sheets are 29 feet by 3/8 inch, while the mainsheet is 72.5 feet by 3/8 inch.
Draft varies from 5.68 to 5.98 feet with load, keeping her within most marina depths.
Performance Underway
The theoretical hull speed is 6.7 knots. With the optional Yanmar 2GMF 13-horsepower diesel, the calculated maximum speed under power is about 4.9 knots.
Her Motion Comfort Ratio is 20.3, making her more comfortable than 38 percent of similar designs. She isn’t a soft-riding heavyweight, but the figure suggests a predictable coastal performer. Her light displacement and moderate ballast give her the handling character of a responsive day-and-weekend cruiser rather than a passage-maker built for steep seas.
Accommodations and Layout
The available record doesn’t describe the interior arrangement. The relatively beamy 2.88 length-to-beam ratio and 25-foot waterline are the only architectural facts that speak to interior volume. Nothing in the sourced material details the berths, galley, or head.
Engine, Refits, and Ownership
The only equipment detail on record is the optional inboard Yanmar 2GMF diesel rated at 13 horsepower. This small direct-drive unit gives a calculated maximum speed of about 4.9 knots under power.
The source material includes no refit history, rig-conversion notes, or observations about ownership culture.
Verdict
The Freedom 29 is a coherent expression of Hoyt’s mid-eighties thinking: beamy, light, and underrigged by racer standards. TPI built her in solid fiberglass with a fin keel and fractional rig.
Her numbers clearly place her outside the reviewing publication’s ocean-race window. As a coastal cruiser, however, her comfort and space ratios put her ahead of a meaningful share of comparable boats for relaxed sailing.
Pros
- Length-to-beam ratio ranks her as roomier than 73 percent of similar designs
- 40-percent ballast ratio is higher than that of 46 percent of comparable boats
- Load-dependent draft of 5.68–5.98 feet fits within most marina depths
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.06 excludes her from ocean races under the reviewing publication’s standard
- Slightly underrigged and faster than only 24 percent of comparable designs in light wind
- Motion Comfort Ratio is ahead of just 38 percent of similar designs
