Design and Construction
The 11 Metre One Design is a fibreglass hull carrying a fin keel with a bulb, and that keel is made of lead. The boat's displacement-length ratio of 81 places her firmly among ultra-light racers, while a 44 percent ballast ratio and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.99 describe a narrow, low-mass hull tuned for speed rather than volume. The wetted surface runs about 290 square feet, and her draft of between about 5.9 and 6.2 feet varies with loading — deep enough that she can only enter major marinas. These are not cruising proportions; they are the bones of a planing-style one-design.
Rig and Handling
What separates this design from its peers is the sail plan. She is built with a fractional rig and carries more rig than 100 percent of all similar sailboats, meaning she is significantly overrigged for her size anchor. The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 27.9 under the ISO reference sail and rises to 31.9 with a 135 percent genoa, a figure set against a motion comfort ratio of just 10.9 and a capsize screening value of 2.22 — the latter disqualifying her from ocean racing under that standard. The theoretical hull speed is 7.0 knots. Standing and running rigging are specified to racing lengths and diameters: the mainsail, jib, and spinnaker halyards each run 94.2 feet at 3/8 inch, while sheets are 1/2 inch, the mainsheet alone reaching 84.1 feet. An outboard of 3 to 4 horsepower is typically used for docking and maneuvering.
Accommodations
The 11 Metre One Design is equipped with one cabin. The sources describe her as a racing yacht rather than a weekender, and the single-cabin layout reflects a hull built around the rule and the course, not around berth count or galley footprint.
The Verdict
The 11 Metre One Design is a purpose-bred one-design racer from the Holland-Gyhlenius partnership, built by Precision Boat Works from 1990. Her ultra-light displacement, overrigged fractional setup, and lead-bulb fin keel make her a sharp club racer with a real class structure behind her, but the same numbers that make her quick — low comfort ratio, high capsize screening value, marina-limiting draft — confirm she is no offshore or family cruiser.
Pros
- Significant overrigged fractional rig for outright speed anchor
- Lead-bulb fin keel on a fibreglass hull
- Active one-design class with documented fleet racing
- Ultra-light racer proportions (DL-ratio 81)
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.22 excludes ocean racing
- Draft of 5.9–6.2 ft restricts her to major marinas
- Single cabin; minimal accommodation for cruising
- Low motion comfort ratio (10.9)
