Design and Construction
The 261 is a solid-fiberglass hull-and-deck boat with an iron long keel. At a displacement of roughly 5,732 pounds with 2,646 pounds of ballast, she shows a ballast ratio of 44 percent — higher than 69 percent of comparable designs — and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.45, which makes her slimmer than 95 percent of similar sailboats. A displacement-length ratio of 313 places her firmly among heavy cruisers, while an immersion rate of about 530 pounds per inch speaks to a stiff, slow-to-react hull in loading. The wetted surface runs about 172 square feet, and the theoretical hull speed is 6.0 knots.
Rig and Handling
She is built with a fractional sloop rig and, by the numbers, slightly underrigged: her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 13.4 on the ISO reference sail and 15.3 with a 135 percent genoa, meaning she is faster than only 18 percent of similar boats in light wind. The capsize screening value is 1.68, and the Motion Comfort Ratio of 27.2 to 27.5 is more comfortable than 90 percent of comparable designs — a consequence of the narrow, heavy hull form rather than any documented amenity. With a Yanmar 1GM10 she is calculated at 4.2 knots max under power; with the Volvo Penta MD5, about 3.7 knots, both on shaft drive. The long keel and 4.1-to-4.4-foot draft let her settle into shallow marinas depending on load.
Accommodations
Below, the boat is equipped with four berths, a practical count for a 26-footer of her volume class. The successor-model revisions over the Marieholm 26 concentrated on a self-draining cockpit and a reworked deck plan, which together with the increased interior volume make the 261 a more usable weekender than the earlier boat without changing the essential Sundén design approach.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping a 261 will find two documented diesel options, the Yanmar 1GM10 and the Volvo Penta MD5, both with shaft drives — a simplicity that favors DIY maintenance. Rigging dimensions are well cataloged, from a 76-foot mainsail halyard at 5/16 inch to a 65-foot mainsheet at 3/8 inch, so renewal estimates are straightforward. Fewer than 100 built means each hull is a small part of a limited series.
The Verdict
The Marieholm 261 is a narrowly proportioned, heavily ballasted small cruiser that trades light-air speed for motion comfort and shallow-water reach. Sundén's design carries a low-production, easy-to-maintain package.
Pros
- More comfortable motion than 90 percent of similar designs
- Iron long keel and solid glass build with shallow draft for a 26-footer
- Simple shaft-drive diesel options and cataloged rigging for easy upkeep
Cons
- Slightly underrigged; quicker than only 18 percent of peers in light wind
- Fewer than 100 built, limiting parts-network familiarity
- Narrow beam restricts accommodation spread versus beamier contemporaries
