Design and Construction
David drew the 25 PS with a different hull shape than the standard Lancer 25 and its Mark V update, setting it apart as a purpose-built motorsailer rather than a trailerable daysailer with auxiliary power. The boat is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, carrying a raked stem and an angled transom. Beneath the waterline sits a fixed fin keel drawing 3.33 feet, while steering runs through an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel — a layout more often seen on larger cruisers than on a trailerable 25-footer. At 3,500 pounds displacement with 1,250 pounds of ballast, the design sits at a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 36 percent, a substantial figure for a boat of this length that speaks to a deliberately weighted keel beneath a light hull.
Rig and Handling
The 25 PS carries a Bermuda fractional sloop rig with a 29-foot foretriangle height and an 8.75-foot base, matched to a 29-foot mainsail luff and a 10.6-foot foot. Total sail area comes to about 280 square feet, split between a 153.7-square-foot main and a 126.9-square-foot jib or genoa. The fractional rig keeps the sailplan manageable for short-handed sailing while preserving enough area to drive the 20.25-foot waterline toward its calculated hull speed of 6.03 knots. With an 8-foot beam and a trailerable footprint, the boat is built to be launched and retrieved yet still wheel-steered and keel-finished afloat.
Accommodations
Below, the 25 PS sleeps four across two double berths. The bow cabin holds a double V-berth wrapped around a drop-table, while the aft cabin carries a transversal double berth across the stern. The galley sits to starboard just forward of the companionway ladder and is equipped with a stove, icebox, and sink; opposite it on the port side is the head, which includes a shower. A 20-gallon fresh water tank supports the galley and head, a modest but functional supply for weekend coastal use in a boat this size.
The Verdict
The Lancer 25 PS is a specialized entry in Lancer's late-era Power Sailer line: a trailerable, wheel-steered motorsailer with a real four-berth interior and a fin-keeled hull form unique among the 25-foot Lancer variants. It trades the minimalism of a pure trailerable for sheltered cruising comfort, leaning on a large outboard for the "power" half of its brief.
Pros
- Distinct motorsailer hull shape separate from the Lancer 25 and Mark V
- Four-berth layout with bow V-berth, aft double, galley, and enclosed head with shower
- Wheel steering and internally mounted spade rudder in a trailerable package
- Strong ballast ratio for a 3,500-pound hull
Cons
- Limited 20-gallon water capacity for extended stays
- Outboard-dependent propulsion typical of a motorsailer rather than inboard diesel
