Performance 29er Buyer's Guide
The Performance 29er is a high-performance two-person skiff aimed at young sailors and developed from the 49er as a youth trainer, introduced in 1998 by Julian Bethwaite and written up in Sail1Design as representing the future of the sport. On the used market it presents as a tightly class-controlled dinghy: every example should match the same hull material, rig and equipment spec, so a buyer's judgment turns on condition and documented development details rather than variant spotting.
Layouts on the Used Market
There is effectively one layout: a 14-foot center hull with wings giving 5'7" width, a self-draining cockpit with contoured interior, and an enclosed transom. The single trapeze and asymmetric spinnaker define the sailing arrangement, and the boat is set up for two sailors with an ideal racing weight of 110–130 kg. Boats for North America were either built in England or Australia before Montreal tooling came online, but the class specs keep the hull to fibreglass cloth and polyester resin with no carbon or Kevlar.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A commonly fitted item on the 29er is the asymmetric spinnaker, which is part of the standard sail plan and defines the downwind experience. Beyond that, the complete boat ships with a Bluewave mast including halyards, wires and trapeze, an Allen-fitted hull with Harken spinnaker ratchets, GRP foils, and a carbon-extension tiller. The original sailcloth is Mylar and the spinnaker is nylon, so a used buyer should verify the inventory is intact rather than hunting upgrades.
What to Inspect
The most telling development point is the self-draining cockpit floor height, which was raised between the first and fifth prototype to keep the boat drier — confirm the cockpit drains freely and the floor shows no standing-water damage. The hull was extended aft in length and width during prototyping to raise weight capacity, so check the aft wings and transom joint for stress. The rig was reduced in size for smaller crews; verify the three-part mast with fiberglass tip is complete and the self-tacking jib hardware operates. Safety foot and grab rails should be present and secure, and the enclosed transom intact.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the 29er are the United States, Canada and Switzerland. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm the cockpit drainage and raised floor, inspect the aft hull stretch joint, verify the original mast and trapeze inventory, and ensure the spinnaker and self-tacking jib are complete. A clean class-spec boat needs no upgrades — only proof it has stayed dry and untwisted.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Performance 29er. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $3,200 | — |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $9,500 | +196.9% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $19,867 | +109.1% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $5,298 | -73.3% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $10,950 | +106.7% |
Where they're listed
Performance 29er listings appear across 2 countries. Switzerland has the most listings with 2 (66.7%), followed by United States.
Country view
3 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | $12,981 | 2 | 1 | 66.7% |
| United States | $4,500 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau 25 Platu | 24.58' | $ 15,000 | 11 | 3 |
| Ovington 29erYou are here | — | $ 8,523 | 4 | 3 |