Design and Construction
Jeanneau built the Fantasia 27 in fiberglass, with a hull the yard described as efficient. Harlé's hull carries finely raked bow lines all the way aft to a beam stern section, a shape that gives the boat both form and a broad midship plan. The yard offered three keel alternatives: a fin keel of iron, a bilge keel, and a stub/centreboard keel also of iron. Draft varies widely across those choices — about 4.92 to 5.22 feet with the fin keel, 3.54 to 3.84 feet with the bilge keel, and as little as 2.59 to 2.89 feet with the centreboard raised — so the same model could be a deep-draft racer or a shallow-creek cruiser depending on the hull you step aboard. The wetted surface of the bottom is about 236 square feet, and the immersion rate is about 706 pounds per inch, figures that place her among moderate racers in displacement-length terms with a DL-ratio of 217.
Rig and Handling
The Fantasia 27 is a masthead sloop, a rig that keeps the center of effort manageable for a small family cruiser. Under power she is fitted with a Yanmar 1GM10 diesel turning a shaft drive, and period test data lists a speed of 7.0 knots with that engine, just above the theoretical displacement-hull maximum of 6.2 knots for her length. The capsize screening value is 2.23, a number that would bar her from ocean racing under that rule, while the Motion Comfort Ratio sits at 16.5 to 16.6. With a ballast ratio of 34 percent and a length-beam ratio of 2.69, she is a comparatively light, beamy hull whose balance rather than brute ballast is what the designer leaned on.
Accommodations
Below decks the Fantasia 27 is a two-cabin layout. The set choice of an aft cabin with a double berth in symmetry with the head leaves the midship and forward areas free for an L-shaped saloon and a double-berth forward. Teak woodwork and trims reinforce the light and amazingly commodious character of the boat below, and the interior is of mahogany like many production boats of the era. Headroom is 5 feet 11 inches throughout, which review copy described as above average for the class, and large ports and hatches — including a round port in the aft cabin and a forward roof screen — keep the interior bright. A toilet facility is fitted, and the stated maximum people capacity is five.
The Verdict
The Fantasia 27 is a Harlé design that trades on balance and a flexible keel program rather than heavy ballast or a complex build. The beam stern and efficient hull give real interior volume for a 27-footer, and the choice of fin, bilge, or centreboard keels lets a buyer match draft to his cruising ground. She is light on ballast for offshore work and too small in tankage and berth privacy for long self-sufficient voyaging, but as a manageable coastal cruiser with an aft cabin she remains a coherent package.
Pros
- Rarely efficient Harlé hull with standout balance
- Three keel options span 2.6 to 5.2 feet of draft
- Aft double cabin and head with 5'11" headroom throughout
- Beam stern and large ports make a commodious, bright interior
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.23 excludes ocean racing
- 34% ballast ratio and 7-gallon fuel capacity limit offshore range
- Only aft cabin offers enclosed private sleeping space
