Design and Construction
Cabal’s hull has a 22.31-foot waterline and a 10-foot beam. Its L/B ratio of 2.77 places the Furia 28 firmly among beamy designs. Compared with similar sailboats, she is more spacious than 82% of all other designs, according to Yacht-database’s review, which attributes that advantage directly to the broad section plan.
The hull and deck are solid fiberglass, while the fin keel is iron. That’s worth noting during a survey because iron appendages invite corrosion where lead would not.
At 5,633 pounds displacement with 2,216 pounds of ballast, the Furia 28 has a ballast ratio of 39%. That ratio is higher than 42% of comparable designs but remains modest, and the same review links it to below-average resistance to heeling. Wetted surface is about 279 square feet. Immersion is a substantial 999 pounds per inch, so the boat settles noticeably under cruising load.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig carries 307 square feet of sail. The sheet specifications are unusually complete: jib and genoa sheets are both 28.2 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter; the mainsheet is 70.5 feet long at the same diameter; and the spinnaker sheet is specified at 62 feet. These lengths confirm a rig proportioned for a boat of her length rather than a fractionally tuned racer.
Draft is quoted at 5.41 to 5.71 feet, depending on load. That keeps the Furia 28 within most marina depths but rules out the shallowest shoal venues.
With a hull speed near 6.3 knots and a displacement-length ratio above 226, she is a moderate-displacement cruiser. Her below-average righting moment means she’ll heel earlier than a deeper-ballasted contemporary, calling for attentive sail trim in a breeze.
Accommodations
No berth count, galley description, or head location has been published for this design. The only defensible accommodation claim is therefore the hull’s volume advantage, reflected in its 82% spaciousness ranking. A 10-foot beam on a 30.5-foot hull gave Cabal room to create a livable interior well beyond the norm for the size.
Known Issues
The iron keel is the principal construction caveat. A buyer’s survey should examine it for rust jacking or coating loss at the hull joint.
Verdict
The Furia 28 is a spacious small cruiser from a late-1970s Spanish yard. Alberto Cabal designed her to give a 30-footer the interior breadth of a larger boat, at the cost of some initial stiffness. Her masthead rig is straightforward to handle, with well-documented sheet dimensions, and her modest draft suits marina sailing. Prospective owners, however, should weigh the iron keel and below-average righting moment.
Pros
- Beamier and more spacious than 82% of similar designs
- Complete masthead-rig sheet specifications are documented
- Draft under 5.71 feet keeps most marinas accessible
Cons
- Iron keel presents greater corrosion concerns than lead
- Below-average resistance to heeling with a 39% ballast ratio
- No published details of the accommodation layout
