Design and Construction
At just over 20 feet long with an 8.9-foot beam, the Impala 20 displaces 2,205 pounds and carries 882 pounds of ballast. Its ballast ratio is 40 percent, while its length-to-beam ratio is 2.31 and its displacement-length ratio is 187. Together, those figures place it firmly in the moderate-racer category. An immersion rate of roughly 536 pounds per inch indicates how heavily the boat sits for its size.
Jensen gave the Impala 20 a plywood hull with hard chines. This form increases initial stability as the boat first begins to heel. The hull is wrapped in fiberglass, and the deck has a plywood core. Wetted surface below the waterline is about 172 square feet.
The Impala 20 was also offered as a home-completion kit, so build quality can vary from one boat to another. Buyers and reviewers can’t assume consistent workshop standards across the fleet; condition is especially important.
Rig, Draft, and Performance
The Impala 20 has a fin keel and masthead-sloop rig. Depending on load, it draws between 3.94 and 4.24 feet, allowing it to enter shallow marinas that deeper-keel boats can’t reach.
Its sail-control lines are sized accordingly. The jib and genoa sheets are 20.5 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter. The mainsheet is 51.3 feet long, and the spinnaker sheet measures 45.1 feet; all are the same 10-millimeter diameter.
The performance figures describe a boat intended for inshore sailing. Its Relative Speed Performance index is 88, consistent with its moderate-racer classification rather than outright speed. The theoretical maximum for the displacement hull is 5.6 knots.
The boat has a capsize screening value of 2.72, which would exclude it from ocean racing, and a motion comfort ratio of 10.1.
Accommodations
Below deck, the Impala 20 has a galley and toilet facility—a notable concession to cruising comfort in a 20-foot hull. Its hard-chined plywood form and 8.9-foot beam provide the steady platform promised by its initial-stability figures. Even so, the interior is better suited to simple, camp-style living than to providing a voluminous cabin.
Verdict
The Impala 20 is a small, intelligently proportioned Danish design that trades offshore credibility for inshore versatility. Its hard-chined plywood hull and fin keel make it an accessible, shallow-water racer-cruiser, but its home-completion history means condition is everything. By the numbers, it’s a moderate racer, not a bluewater boat.
Pros
- Hard-chined plywood hull provides increased initial stability
- Fin keel and 3.94–4.24-foot draft suit shallow marinas
- Galley and toilet facility in a 20-foot hull
- Moderate-racer proportions, including a 40 percent ballast ratio
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.72 excludes ocean racing
- Home-completion history means build quality varies
- Low motion comfort ratio of 10.1 for extended cruising
