Design and Construction
George Olson's path to the drawing board was unconventional: he never finished a formal education and never held a naval-architecture diploma, yet he produced a hull that helped bring ultralight-displacement boats to the production market. The design carries a fin keel and spade rudder, a 9-foot beam, 2,900-pound displacement, and 1,300 pounds of lead ballast — a 44.8 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio that explains much of its poise. Pacific Boats' versions are regarded as the better-built boats, being lighter with cored hulls, no headliner, and more race-friendly stanchions lighter cored hulls without headliner. Ericson later added a headliner to tidy the interior, but that refinement came at a cost: it made the boat harder to move around in and far more difficult to re-bed deck hardware.
Rig and Handling
The Olson 25 is rigged as a masthead sloop with a double-spreader rig and inline shrouds. The backstay does not offer much mast-shaping ability because the rig geometry simply does not permit it, but it does let the trimmer precisely control headstay tension — a useful trade for a boat meant to be raced midweek. Class rules cap the headsail at 155 percent, the largest permitted under both class and PHRF. On the water the design reads as a small, affordable, easy-to-handle performance boat, and despite its modest length it can perform better than cruising boats much larger.
Accommodations
Although conceived as a sport boat, the Olson 25 is capable of comfortable family weekending and suits daysailing with the family. The original specification included an alcohol stove, and owners have refined the cabin over time with upgraded lighting. The interior is no cruiser's condo, but the envelope works for short stretches aboard with children or friends.
Known Issues
The Ericson-built boats carry two specific drawbacks. The added headliner that cleaned up the interior also made it much harder to move around and to re-bed deck hardware headliner complicates deck-hardware re-bedding. Those same Ericson hulls also received stanchions that cant inward, which makes hiking out harder than on the Pacific Boats version with its more race-friendly stanchions.
Refits and Ownership
Owners have modernized their boats in measured ways. A Raymarine tridata is a documented upgrade, and refreshed cabin lighting appears on at least one well-kept example. The original alcohol stove survives on some boats.
The Verdict
The Olson 25 is a genuine entry-level ultralight that punches above its length, easy to handle and quick enough to embarrass bigger cruisers, with a builder split that rewards careful shopping. The Pacific Boats version is the purist's choice; the Ericson adds interior finish at the price of serviceability and hike-out room.
Pros
- Ultralight sport-boat performance in a 25-foot, dry-sailable package
- Can outrun much larger cruising boats
- Pacific Boats builds are light, cored, and race-oriented
- Easy to handle; suitable for family weekending and daysailing
Cons
- Ericson headliner hinders movement and deck-hardware re-bedding
- Ericson stanchions cant inward, restricting hike-out
- Backstay offers limited mast-shaping capability
