The class has supported active fleet racing. Holland campaigned his own 11 MOD in England and Ireland, and the second hull launched belonged to him. Today, a recognized fleet operates at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Owners such as Andrew Herriott have been photographed at the helm of their racing yachts, while Holland has been recorded on the foredeck of the boat Blue Tack.
Design and Construction
The 11 Metre One Design has a fibreglass hull and a lead-bulb fin keel. With a displacement-length ratio of 81, she sits firmly among ultra-light racers. Her 44 percent ballast ratio and 3.99 length-to-beam ratio describe a narrow, low-mass hull tuned for speed rather than interior volume.
Wetted surface is about 290 square feet. Draft varies with loading from about 5.9 to 6.2 feet—deep enough that she can enter only major marinas. These aren’t cruising proportions; they’re the basis of a planing-style one-design.
Rig and Handling
The sail plan sets this design apart from its peers. She has a fractional rig and carries more rig than 100 percent of all similar sailboats, making her significantly overrigged for her size.
Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 27.9 under the ISO reference sail and rises to 31.9 with a 135 percent genoa. Those figures sit alongside a motion comfort ratio of just 10.9 and a capsize screening value of 2.22; under that standard, the latter disqualifies her from ocean racing. 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 measure 94.2 feet and 3/8 inch. The sheets are 1/2 inch, with the mainsheet alone reaching 84.1 feet. A 3- to 4-horsepower outboard is typically used for docking and maneuvering.
Accommodations
The 11 Metre One Design has one cabin. Sources describe her as a racing yacht rather than a weekender, and the single-cabin arrangement reflects a hull designed around the rule and the racecourse—not berth count or galley space.
Verdict
The 11 Metre One Design is a purpose-built racer from the Holland-Gyhlenius partnership, produced by Precision Boat Works from 1990. Her ultra-light displacement, overrigged fractional sail plan, and lead-bulb fin keel make her a sharp club racer backed by a genuine one-design class structure.
The same figures that contribute to her speed also define her limitations. A low comfort ratio, high capsize screening value, and marina-limiting draft confirm that she’s neither an offshore cruiser nor a family cruiser.
Pros
- Significantly overrigged fractional rig for outright speed
- Lead-bulb fin keel and fibreglass hull
- Active one-design class with documented fleet racing
- Ultra-light racer proportions, with a displacement-length ratio of 81
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.22 excludes her from ocean racing under that standard
- Draft of 5.9–6.2 feet restricts her to major marinas
- Single cabin and minimal cruising accommodation
- Low motion comfort ratio of 10.9
