Design and Construction
The L 29 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck, with a teak-finished interior typical of her era. Her displacement is around 7,500 pounds, including 3,241 pounds of iron ballast in the fin keel, for a ballast ratio of 41 percent. Draft ranges from roughly 5.25 to 5.55 feet, depending on load.
The hull has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.10, about 258 square feet of wetted surface, and an immersion rate of 783 pounds per inch. Together, those figures describe a relatively substantial boat for her length, with more emphasis on comfort than light weight.
Although Aages Boatbuilders produced the L 29, construction was also contracted to other yards. The boat was also offered as a home-completion kit, so finished-boat quality may vary from one example to the next.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The fractional rig carries more sail plan than 54 percent of comparable sailboats, which suggests that the L 29 is slightly overrigged for her size. With the ISO 8666 reference sail, her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.0. A 135 percent genoa raises that figure to 18.9, providing a meaningful light-air boost without moving into full race trim.
Her displacement-length ratio of 243 places her among moderate racers. The Relative Speed Performance index is 58. These figures, combined with her moderate displacement and slightly overrigged sail plan, suggest a cruiser that should be quick without behaving like a featherweight planing hull.
The Motion Comfort Ratio falls between 22.7 and 22.9, indicating a more settled ride in a seaway rather than a twitchy one. Her capsize screening value is 1.92, a figure that, by that formula alone, would admit her to consideration for ocean passages. Taken together, the numbers sketch a fundamentally stable and predictable boat.
Under power, the 13-horsepower Volvo Penta MD7 drives the L 29 at 6.0 knots, just below her theoretical displacement-hull maximum of 6.6 knots.
Accommodations
Below deck, the L 29 has six berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. The 9.4-foot beam provides reasonable room for a 29-footer without bloating the hull form. It’s a straightforward arrangement suited to coastal cruising with a small crew or family, without much pretense.
Verdict
The L 29 is a sensible late-1970s Danish cruiser-racer: moderately displaced, slightly overrigged, stable, and simply built in fiberglass, with a teak interior. Her performance numbers promise more pace than those of a heavy cruiser, while her displacement and comfort figures point to predictable manners. The main caveat is her home-completion history, which means build and finish quality may differ between individual boats.
Pros
- Stable, comfort-oriented hull, with a capsize screening value of 1.92 and a Motion Comfort Ratio near 23
- Slightly overrigged fractional sloop with good light-air potential from a 135 percent genoa, raising SA/D to 18.9
- Solid fiberglass construction, an iron fin keel, and a manageable draft of 5.25 to 5.55 feet
Cons
- Home-completion option means quality can vary from boat to boat
- Modest 13-horsepower diesel limits motoring speed to 6.0 knots
- Fewer than 200 were built, so finding a specific example may take patience
