Design and Construction
The Limbo 6.6 has a fiberglass hull and a lifting iron keel. Depending on load, its draft varies from about 2.26 to 2.56 feet—shallow enough to enter marinas where a similar-sized fixed-keel boat would ground.
Its beam is 8.17 feet, giving a length-to-beam ratio of 2.72. That relatively narrow proportion keeps the hull lean. Displacement is 1,950 pounds, with 850 pounds of ballast and a ballast ratio of 44 percent. A displacement-length ratio of 176 puts the design among what reviewers call “light racers” rather than cruising tugboats.
The underwater body has about 172 square feet of wetted surface, a modest footprint that helps the boat achieve its quoted theoretical top speed of 5.5 knots for a displacement hull of this length.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 240 square feet of sail in its reference configuration, producing a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.1. With a 135 percent genoa, that figure rises to 21.9, giving the boat a noticeably livelier turn of speed in breeze that would leave a heavier hull rolling.
A capsize screening value of 2.62 would, by the reviewing standard, exclude the design from ocean racing. It’s a clear indication that the Limbo 6.6 is intended for sheltered water rather than bluewater sailing.
The motion comfort ratio is 9.8, while an immersion rate of 483 pounds per inch describes a boat that responds quickly to crew weight and loading. It sits lightly in the water rather than plowing through it.
The Verdict
The Limbo 6.6 is a purpose-built small racer-cruiser from the mid-1970s. It’s light on its feet and, with its lifting iron keel, able to dry out or slip into shallow berths. Its numbers describe a nimble, low-comfort coastal dayboat whose sail plan rewards the use of a genoa in light air. Its capsize screening value keeps it firmly in the day-sailing pond.
Pros
- Shallow, variable draft from the lifting iron keel suits marina access
- Light displacement and a sail plan with a 135 percent genoa provide sparkling close-reaching performance
- A tidy small design by Andrew Stewart, with fewer than 200 built
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.62 excludes it from ocean racing
- Motion comfort ratio of 9.8 indicates a stiff, busy ride
