Design and Construction
The hull and decks are solid fiberglass, and the boat was offered with a choice of bilge keels or twin keels for drying moorings, a practical arrangement for a trailer sailer that also sits on its keels ashore or on a drying grid. At 5.87 m overall with a 2.08 m beam and a 680 kg displacement, the Prelude 19 stays within the envelope of a roadable trailerable hull yet carries real accommodation. The iron ballast of 500 lbs sits in a 33 percent ballast-displacement ratio, and the 17-foot waterline gives a theoretical hull speed near 5.5 knots.
Rig and Handling
Under sail the Prelude 19 is lively, a fractional sloop carrying 25.45 square meters of sail area that yields a sail-area-to-displacement ratio around 33. That sail plan is easily handled and the boat can be powered by a 4 HP motor when the wind fails. The combination of light weight and a modest rig makes her a responsive day sailer and a straightforward boat to rig at a slip or a ramp.
Accommodations
Below, the Prelude 19 does something unusual for a 20-foot boat: it provides four berths in two cabins. The cockpit seats six in comfort and includes under-seat lockers for stowage, so the boat serves as both a daysailer with friends aboard and a small cruiser for a couple or a family. The berth count in such a compact hull is the design's quiet achievement, and the seating and locker space make the limited footprint usable rather than cramped.
The Verdict
The Prelude 19 is a light, towable trailer sailer that punches above its length with four berths and a sociable cockpit. Ian Proctor's layout and Rydgeway's solid-GRP construction make for a simple, lively small boat that an average car can trailer and a 4 HP motor can auxiliary-power.
Pros
- Attractive, light trailer sailer at 680 kg, towable by a family car
- Four berths in two cabins in a sub-20-foot hull
- Cockpit seats six with under-seat lockers
- Choice of bilge or twin keels for drying moorings
- Lively under sail, easily powered by a 4 HP motor
Cons
- None documented in available material
