Design and Construction
Kelley’s design has a solid-fiberglass hull, fin keel, and spade rudder, with a reported wetted surface of about 355 square feet. Lead ballast is 2,400 pounds, giving a 54 percent ballast ratio. Combined with her 10-foot-7-inch beam and 28-foot-9-inch waterline, that figure helps define the boat’s light, performance-oriented character.
A displacement-length ratio of 83 and length-to-beam ratio of 3.16 quantify the light build. They also help explain both her responsiveness and limited motion damping. The Motion Comfort Ratio is 9.7, low for a boat intended to double as a cruiser, while the capsize screening value of 2.59 meant she wouldn’t have qualified for ocean racing under that metric.
Load matters more than it would on a heavier boat. The Mirage’s immersion rate is about 1,071 pounds per inch, so added gear and water settle the hull deeper and eat into the design’s quoted draft range of 6-foot-1-inch to 6-foot-3-inch.
Rig and Handling
The fractional-sloop rig carries 512 square feet of sail and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 30.15, consistent with the light-air acceleration expected from an ultra-light hull.
Period data specify 12-millimeter (half-inch) line for the jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker sheets. The mainsheet is the longest at 84.2 feet. The jib and genoa sheets are each 33.7 feet, while the spinnaker sheets measure 74.1 feet. These figures show a buyer what replacement-line inventory will involve. They also hint at the generous traveler and winch geometry needed to manage a 512-square-foot sail plan on a 4,480-pound hull.
Practical Limitations
A draft of 6 feet or more restricts the Mirage 338/34 to major-marina access. The low Motion Comfort Ratio also points to a quick, sometimes choppy ride rather than a soft offshore motion.
Verdict
The Mirage 338/34 is a deliberately light, quick fractional sloop shaped by mid-1980s design thinking. She’s fast for her length and easy to drive, but unforgiving of added load. Her draft makes her unsuitable for shallow coves, and her capsize screening value rules out ocean-race certification under that metric.
She best suits a weight-conscious owner who values acceleration and major-marina access more than motion comfort.
Pros
- Light-displacement hull with an SA/D of 30.15 for strong light-air performance
- 54 percent ballast ratio on a 4,480-pound hull aids stiffness
- Simple solid-fiberglass construction, with no core in the hull to rot
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.59 excludes ocean-race eligibility under that metric
- Motion Comfort Ratio of 9.7 predicts a hard, lively motion
- Draft of 6 feet or more limits her to major marinas
