Design and Construction
Kelley's hull is solid fiberglass, and the boat draws between 4.99 and 5.29 feet depending on load, which keeps her within the draft limits of most marina approaches. The fin keel and spade rudder configuration, paired with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.99, give her a compact but balanced footprint on the water. With 2,400 pounds of lead ballast against 5,500 pounds displacement, the 44 percent ballast ratio is a serious figure for a 28-footer and underpins both her stiffness and her behavior when pushed. The wetted surface measures about 236 square feet, a moderate area that suits her displacement-length ratio of 220 — a value that classifies her among moderate racers rather than pure cruisers.
Rig and Handling
The Mirage 28 is a masthead sloop carrying 343 square feet of sail on the ISO 8666 reference plan, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.6; with a 135 percent genoa that figure rises to 21.1, a meaningful jump that speaks to her responsiveness under augmented forward area. Her theoretical displacement hull speed is 6.3 knots. The standing and running rigging follow predictable masthead dimensions: halyards for mainsail, jib, and spinnaker each run 23.4 meters with 8 mm diameter, while sheets range from 8.4 meters for jib and genoa to 21 meters for the mainsheet, all in 10 mm. A cunningham of 3 meters, kicking strap and clew outhaul of 6.1 meters, round out the control lines in 8 mm. The immersion rate of 715 pounds per inch means she settles noticeably under crew and stores, a consideration for load planning on extended stays.
Performance Profile
The Motion Comfort Ratio of 18.4 is modest, suggesting a boat that will communicate sea state rather than isolate her crew from it, yet the capsize screening value of 2.08 indicates a hull form deemed safe for offshore-leaning coastal work by the standard metric. Her DL-ratio of 220 puts her in the moderate-racer band, and the SA/D swing from 17.6 to 21.1 with a larger genoa shows how much her pace depends on forward sail choice. The 6.3-knot hull-speed ceiling is typical for the waterline, but the lightness and ballast fraction imply she will reach it readily in a breeze.
The Verdict
The Mirage 28 is a Kelley-designed fiberglass sloop that wears her racing-cruiser lineage in her numbers: a 44 percent ballast ratio, moderate wetted surface, and a sail plan that gains real vigor with a 135 percent genoa. She is a small boat that behaves like a larger one in stability terms, yet her comfort ratio warns she will keep her crew in touch with the sea. For a sailor wanting a light, handy pocket cruiser with verifiable performance metrics, she is a coherent choice.
Pros
- High 44 percent ballast ratio for the size, with a 2.08 capsize screening value
- Masthead rig that responds well to a 135 percent genoa (SA/D 21.1)
- Draft under 5.3 feet permits broad marina access
Cons
- Motion Comfort Ratio of 18.4 indicates a firm, communicative ride
- Immersion rate of 715 lbs/inch means load sensitivity
