Built as a solid-fiberglass masthead sloop with a bulb fin keel, the Friendship 23 is a light, narrow coastal racer rather than a voyager.
Design and Construction
The Friendship 23 measures 22.31 feet overall and 20.57 feet on the waterline, with a beam of just over seven feet. Displacement is near 2,535 pounds, including 882 pounds of ballast. Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass.
Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.16 makes her slimmer than 82 percent of designs in her category. A displacement-to-length ratio of 130 places her among what analysts call light racers; 79 percent of similar sailboats are categorized as heavier.
The ballast ratio is 35 percent, higher than that of 34 percent of comparable designs. Depending on load, the bulb fin gives a draft of roughly 3.28 to 3.58 feet. Wetted surface is near 161 square feet, while the immersion rate is about 505 pounds per inch. Together, these figures describe a physically modest but numerically purposeful hull.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig carries 215 square feet of sail. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.50 is consistent with the boat’s light-racer classification, and theoretical hull speed is 6.1 knots.
The capsize screening value is 2.07, which means the boat wouldn’t be accepted for ocean racing. Her motion comfort ratio is 13.7, making her more comfortable than 42 percent of similar sailboat designs.
Sheet specifications are precise:
- Jib and genoa sheets: 22.3 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter
- Mainsheet: 55.8 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter
- Spinnaker sheet: 49.1 feet long and 10 mm in diameter
Verdict
The Friendship 23 is a narrowly drawn, early-1970s Dutch design: a light, slim masthead sloop with a bulb fin and solid-fiberglass construction. She’s best understood as a small coastal racer rather than a passage-maker.
Her ratios suggest a lean, easily driven boat, but the screening and comfort figures set clear limits. She falls below ocean-race acceptance and sits only in the middle of the field for motion comfort.
Pros
- Slim, light hull—L/B 3.16 and D/L 130—that is easier to drive than most comparable boats
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck
- Bulb fin provides modest draft
- Precise, documented sheet specifications for rig tuning
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.07 excludes her from ocean races
- Comfort ratio exceeds that of only 42 percent of similar designs
