Gib'Sea Flush Poker 27 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design Brief & Intent

The Flush Poker 27 was conceived as an affordable, high-performance pocket cruiser capable of both competitive club racing and spirited coastal voyaging. In an era dominated by the International Offshore Rule (IOR), Joubert sought to maximize sailing efficiency while maintaining a robust structure. Compared to more conservative contemporary rivals like the Bénéteau Sangria or the Dufour 27, the Flush Poker was a bold architectural statement. Its flush-deck profile eliminated the traditional cabin house, creating an expansive, unobstructed foredeck that made sail handling and foredeck maneuvers exceptionally safe and efficient during racing.

Below deck, the layout was designed to sleep five or six crew members, but the structural philosophy differed from many budget production boats of the 1970s. Gibert Marine avoided the use of full inner structural liners, which were increasingly used by competitors to speed up production at the expense of accessibility. Instead, the hull was built from robust, hand-laid solid fiberglass with heavy glassed-in floors and frames left visible in the bilge. While the teak joinery offered a warm and high-quality traditional finish, the flush-deck design meant the interior was relatively dark and lacked the headroom of its Jeanneau sibling 7. It featured a functional dinette, a small galley to port of the companionway, and a marine head situated between the main cabin and the forward V-berth.

Variations & Configurations

While the underlying 27-foot hull remained consistent, several configuration differences emerged over the Flush Poker's production run, which ended in 1978. The standard version featured a deep, high-aspect cast-iron fin keel drawing 5.45 feet (1.66 meters), which maximized upwind lift and stability. A skeg-hung rudder provided reliable, balanced steering control even in a heavy seaway. The rig was a classic masthead sloop with a high-aspect forestay, carrying a massive genoa that functioned as the primary engine of the vessel, balanced by a comparatively small mainsail.

Propulsion options evolved significantly over the years. Early models often left the yard with single-cylinder gasoline inboard engines, which were notoriously finicky and lacked the torque needed for rough conditions. Later production runs and subsequent owner refits frequently utilized small inboard diesel engines, with Nanni diesels becoming the most common and reliable factory-sanctioned mechanical choice. Some owners opted to bypass inboard maintenance entirely, sealing the shaft log and mounting an outboard motor on a transom bracket. While the outboard option saved weight and reduced drag in light air, the inboard configurations provided valuable ballast down low and far superior safety when motoring into a headwind.

Sailing Performance & Handling 5

The sailing characteristics of the Flush Poker 27 are defined by a high Ballast-to-Displacement ratio of 42.31%, which translates to remarkable stiffness and a reassuring ability to carry full canvas in a stiff breeze. With a Sail Area-to-Displacement ratio of 22.33, the boat is a powerful performer that punches through heavy chop with ease. At the helm, the skeg-hung rudder offers exceptional tracking stability. It tracks beautifully upwind and is highly responsive to fine tuning, rarely showing a tendency to round up or lose grip even when pressed hard by sudden gusts.

With a Displacement-to-Length ratio of 250.67, the Flush Poker sits comfortably in the moderate-displacement category. Its hull form relies on its massive overlapping genoa for light-air performance. If the wind drops completely and a heavy clapot develops, the boat can struggle and lose momentum under its small mainsail alone. Downwind handling reveals the classic design signatures of the early 1970s. The hull features a pinched transom, often referred to as a narrow stern 5. When sailing dead downwind under a large symmetrical spinnaker, this narrow stern can induce significant rolling in a following sea. While its Capsize Screening Ratio of 2.16 places it slightly on the tender side by modern offshore racing standards, its Comfort Ratio of 17.9 reflects a predictable motion. Cruisers have taken well-prepared Flush Pokers on successful transatlantic voyages, proving its physical resilience.

Known Issues & Triage

The primary technical vulnerability of the Flush Poker 27 lies in its deck construction. The flush deck utilizes a balsa wood sandwich core to save weight. Over more than forty years of use, the bedding compound around the mast step, handrails, and genoa sheet tracks inevitably degrades, allowing water to penetrate the balsa core. If left untreated, this core rots and causes soft spots, structural flexing, and eventual deck failure. Triage requires a thorough inspection with a moisture meter and a sounding mallet. Repairing a compromised core involves cutting away the fiberglass laminate from either the interior or exterior, scraping out the rotten balsa, and rebuilding the sandwich with marine-grade plywood or closed-cell foam set in epoxy resin.

Another common operational issue is associated with beaching or drying the boat out using legs. Because of the swept-back trailing edge of the fin keel and the forward-positioned center of gravity, the Flush Poker has a strong natural tendency to pitch forward when resting on its keel. If dried out on beaching legs without a proper safety harness, the boat can nose-dive, putting immense stress on the legs and risking hull damage. To safely dry out the vessel, owners must run a halyard or bow line to a secure anchor or mooring ahead of the bow to support the forward sections and keep the boat level.

Furthermore, the flush-deck design creates a tight, enclosed forward cabin that suffers from poor air circulation. This stagnant environment frequently leads to condensation and mildew, particularly when wet sails are stored in the V-berth. Owners routinely resolve this by installing a louvered ventilation grate in the upper part of the bulkhead separating the V-berth from the anchor locker, allowing fresh air to cycle through the cabin.

Modernization & Upgrades

Modern owners are actively retrofitting these durable hulls to suit contemporary cruising and racing standards. The most significant upgrades focus on the drivetrain and electrical systems. Replacing original gasoline or raw-water cooled diesel engines with lightweight, fresh-water cooled twin-cylinder marine diesels from Yanmar or Nanni (typically 10 to 14 horsepower) is a standard modernization that ensures reliable motoring and reduces the overall weight of the stern.

For owners seeking a greener and lighter alternative, the Flush Poker 27 is an excellent candidate for electric propulsion. Removing the heavy engine, fuel tank, and exhaust plumbing frees up massive locker space in the companionway. A modern 5kW to 8kW electric shaft-drive motor, combined with a 48-volt lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery bank, can easily drive the boat at hull speed for harbor maneuvers, while shedding several hundred pounds of displacement.

Because the flush-deck profile leaves little room for traditional, bulky lead-acid battery banks, transition to lithium batteries is highly popular. Installing compact, high-capacity lithium cells in the central cabin locker allows owners to power modern auto-pilots, marine electronics, and LED lighting without compromising the boat's balance or consuming precious storage space. Additionally, upgrading the aging masthead deck organizers and running rigging to modern, low-friction lines led back to the cockpit greatly simplifies single-handed sailing on this highly responsive hull.

The Verdict

The Gib’Sea Flush Poker 27 remains an exceptional vintage choice for sailors who prioritize pure sailing sensations, structural integrity, and classic lines over apartment-like volume. It is a rewarding, stiff, and sea-kindly pocket cruiser that punches far above its weight in heavy air 5, proving that Michel Joubert’s racing-inspired shapes still have tremendous utility on today's waters.

Pros

Exceptional upwind sailing performance and high resistance to heeling.
Highly robust, hand-laid fiberglass hull construction with visible floor timbers instead of a liner.
Expansive, clear flush-deck area provides a safe and easy working platform.
Active owner affinity in Europe ensures steady access to tribal knowledge and parts.
Excellent tactical feedback and tracking stability at the helm 11.