At 20 feet overall, the Mirage 5.5 is best understood as a quick, compact daysailer rather than a pocket cruiser. Its 17.33-foot waterline, 8-foot beam, and 1,200-pound displacement reflect a design that trades comfort for agile performance and easy trailering.
Design and Construction
Fickett’s design is a fiberglass monohull with wood trim. A raked stem and reverse transom give it the low-slung profile typical of late-1970s Mini Ton racers.
The defining feature is its retractable swing keel. Lowered, it gives the boat a maximum draft of 5.33 feet for sailing; raised, it reduces draft to 1.33 feet for shallow-water access, beaching, and trailering behind a family vehicle. The boat displaces 1,200 pounds, including 320 pounds of iron ballast, placing it firmly in the trailerable-racer class.
Steering is by tiller through a transom-hung lifting rudder. This keeps the running gear clear of the hull for easier haulout and reduces wetted surface when the keel is raised.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Mirage 5.5 carries a Bermuda masthead sloop rig, with internal halyards fitted as standard. Its sail wardrobe ranges from a 69.6-square-foot working jib to a 167.29-square-foot genoa, plus a 330-square-foot spinnaker for downwind legs.
Period test sailors found its swing keel more manageable than the lifting keels of the Hotfoot 20 and Holder 20. That matters in a class where ease of grounding, launching, and trailering can determine how often a boat actually gets used.
Under sail, the Mirage 5.5 offers agile handling, with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 27. Its average PHRF racing handicap of 240 places it among the quicker 20-footers of its era. Sailboat Data lists a hull speed of 5.58 knots, consistent with the boat’s fine entry and modest displacement.
The main handling caveat is tenderness in heavy winds. The sailboat specifications record notes her light-air skittishness when the breeze builds, describing tenderness in heavy winds. That trait is inherent in the design, and buyers and racers should respect the limit.
Deck Equipment and Fittings
Standard equipment includes a boom vang, 3:1 outhaul, cunningham, jiffy reefing, and a perforated toerail. Together with the internal halyards, these race-ready controls allow a short-handed crew to shape and manage the rig efficiently.
Period reviewers described the Harken, Barient, and North deck fittings as top-of-the-line. Mirage equipped the boat to a credible amateur racing standard rather than cutting corners on hardware.
Accommodations
Below decks, the Mirage 5.5 is a spartan camp-cruiser. It can sleep four, with a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The galley, with a sink, sits to starboard just aft of the bow cabin.
Testers found more elbow room than expected, but headroom is only three feet. There are no provisions for a head. The interior is therefore best treated as a place to rest between regattas, not as a cruising home—a reasonable trade-off for a boat whose main purpose is racing.
The Verdict
The Mirage 5.5 is a purpose-built Mini Ton racer for sailors who want IOR-era speed in a package they can trailer home on Saturday night. Its swing keel and lifting rudder simplify launching and recovery, while the standard racing hardware is genuinely good.
The compromises are equally clear: three-foot headroom, no head, a sparse interior, and a tender ride when overpowered.
Pros
- International Offshore Rule Mini Ton racer with agile handling and an average PHRF handicap of 240
- Manageable swing keel suited to trailering, beaching, and shallow-water access
- Top-line Harken, Barient, and North fittings as standard
- Race-ready controls, including a vang, cunningham, jiffy reefing, and internal halyards
Cons
- Tender in heavy winds
- No head and only three feet of cabin headroom
- Spartan interior limits its cruising ambitions
