Design and Construction
Jensen gave the Impala 20 a plywood hull with hard chines, a form choice that lends the boat increased initial stability when she heels for the first time. The same hull is wrapped in fiberglass with a plywood-cored deck, and the wetted surface below the waterline runs about 172 square feet. Because the design was also released as a home-completion kit, the quality of finished boats varies from one example to the next — a buyer or reviewer cannot assume uniform workshop standards across the fleet. Her proportions tell the performance story: a length-to-beam ratio of 2.31 and a ballast ratio of 40 percent place her firmly in the moderate-racer class with a displacement-length ratio of 187, while an immersion rate of roughly 536 pounds per inch records how heavily she sits for her size.
Rig and Handling
The Impala 20 steps a masthead rig and draws between 3.94 and 4.24 feet depending on load, which lets her tuck into shallow marinas that deeper keelboats cannot reach. Her sail-control lines are sized for a boat of this scale: jib and genoa sheets run 20.5 feet at 3/8-inch diameter, the mainsheet stretches 51.3 feet, and the spinnaker sheet measures 45.1 feet, all at the same 10-millimeter diameter. Underway she is governed by her numbers — a capsize screening value of 2.72 that would bar her from ocean racing, a motion comfort ratio of 10.1, and a theoretical displacement-boat maximum of 5.6 knots. The Relative Speed Performance index lands at 88, a figure consistent with her moderate-racer categorization rather than out-and-out speed demon.
Accommodations
Below, the Impala 20 is equipped with a galley and a toilet facility, a notable concession to cruising comfort in a 20-foot hull. The chined plywood form and 8.9-foot beam give her what initial-stability numbers promise at the dock: a steady platform for simple camp-style living rather than a voluminous cabin.
The Verdict
The Impala 20 is a small, intelligently proportioned Danish design that trades offshore credibility for inshore versatility. Her chined plywood hull and fin keel make her an accessible shallow-water racer-cruiser, but the home-completion lineage means condition is everything. She is a moderate racer by the numbers, not a bluewater boat.
Pros
- Chined plywood hull gives increased initial stability
- Fin keel with 3.94–4.24 ft draft suits shallow marinas
- Galley and toilet fitted in a 20-foot hull
- Moderate-racer proportions with 40% ballast ratio
Cons
- Capsize screening of 2.72 excludes ocean racing
- Home-completion history means variable build quality
- Low motion comfort ratio (10.1) for extended cruising
