Design and Construction
Mirage Yachts Ltd. built the solid-fiberglass hull in Canada. The boat has a load-dependent draft of roughly 4.82 to 5.12 feet, shallow enough for access to modest marinas.
With a beam close to 10.5 feet and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.05, the Mirage is beamier than 62 percent of comparable designs. That translates into more cabin space than most boats of her length would suggest.
The boat carries 2,800 pounds of lead ballast, with lead on a long keel. Against an 8,500-pound displacement, that gives a ballast ratio of 35 percent—higher than only 21 percent of similar sailboats. Her displacement-length ratio of 204 falls in the moderate-racer category, and she’s lighter than 73 percent of her peers by that measure. This helps explain her lively performance.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Mirage 32 has a masthead sloop rig with 433 square feet of mainsail and jib area. In this company, the rig stands out: she carries more sail than 98 percent of similar sailboats. A review on yachtdatabase.com therefore describes her as significantly overrigged.
That generous rig is reflected in her sail-area-to-displacement figures: 17.3 with the standard reference sail and 20.7 with a 135 percent genoa. These numbers place her ahead of 62 percent of similar designs for light-air speed. Her theoretical hull speed is 6.8 knots.
The trade-off is a firmer ride. Her motion comfort ratio of 19.3 makes her more comfortable than only 24 percent of comparable designs. Her capsize screening value is 2.10, which means she wouldn’t be accepted for ocean races. That’s a clear indication that Perry tuned the design for coastal and club racing rather than offshore passage work.
Accommodations and Cruising Range
The Mirage 32’s beamy proportions provide an interior more spacious than 62 percent of other designs, based on her length-to-beam ratio. Combined with a 23.75-foot waterline and a 6.53-knot hull-speed envelope calculated from her dimensions, the result is a pocket cruiser with more living space than her length might suggest.
The boat carries 20-gallon fuel and water tanks, pointing to a modest coastal cruising range rather than extended gunkholing.
Verdict
The Mirage 32 is a distinctly Canadian Robert H. Perry sloop: light, beamy, and dramatically overrigged for her size. Those traits make her quick in light air and roomy below, but they also bring a firmer ride. By capsize-screening standards, she’s unsuited to ocean racing.
Overall, she’s a coastal cruiser-racer with shallow draft, lively performance, and an accommodating interior.
Pros
- Beamy hull provides more cabin space than 62 percent of comparable designs
- Overrigged masthead sloop is faster in light air than 62 percent of similar boats
- Shallow, load-dependent draft eases marina access
- Light displacement and a moderate-racer displacement-length ratio keep her lively
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes her from ocean racing
- Motion comfort ratio trails 76 percent of similar designs
- Ballast ratio is lower than that of 79 percent of comparable sailboats
