Design and Construction
Mull's brief was flat-out speed without an ounce of extra fat, and the hull reflects that doctrine. She carries a lean, fine-ended hull for speed to windward and a flat run aft that helps her surf downwind, built with a thinner, lighter lay-up than conventional construction yet actually stronger than she would be with conventional methods. To keep her stiff without piling on weight, the builder incorporated Airex foam panels and added carbon-fiber stiffeners, while the cabin sole was beefed up and used as structural support. Ranger Yachts implemented a specialized self-keying hull-to-deck bonding system with molded interlocking rolled-edge gunwales on this 1977 design. With 900 pounds of lead ballast in a 2,183-pound displacement and a 4-foot 3-inch fin keel, the numbers describe a light racer: the displacement-length ratio of 179 places her among that category, and her capsize screening value of 2.42 meant she would not be accepted for ocean races.
Rig and Handling
The sail plan is where the Ranger 22 earns her reputation. A seven-eighths fractional rig gives her a cloud of sail without a sky-high rating, and the high-aspect layout drives speed to windward. The mast is a cam-shaped section, flat along the trailing edge for lowered drag, and incorporates turbulence generators intended to give the mainsail added lift. Writing in Good Old Boat, reviewers described the fractional rig and fin keel delivering responsive handling, with a lightweight hull that planes easily in puffs, though she is tender in heavy air. Her PHRF rating of roughly 240 and theoretical displacement-hull speed of 5.6 knots frame a boat built to be quick in club conditions rather than forgiving in a blow.
Accommodations
Below, the Ranger 22 is equipped with four big berths, a concession to the cruiser-racer brief that the otherwise race-pure specification otherwise avoids. The 7-foot 10-inch beam and 17-foot 6-inch waterline give those berths a footprint appropriate to a compact trailerable sloop, and the beefed-up cabin sole doubles as structural member rather than mere furniture. Beyond the berths the focus stays on a boat built to race that can still sleep four for a coastal overnight.
Known Issues
The Ranger 22 is tender in heavy air, a direct consequence of the light-displacement hull and modest beam carried to windward, which is why she is best kept in protected waters rather than offshore. The limitation is dynamic, not material, and the Airex-and-carbon construction with self-keying deck joint shows no structural defect in service.
The Verdict
The Ranger 22 is a pure expression of late-1970s Mull performance philosophy in miniature: a Mini Ton racer that planes in puffs, responds to a fractional rig, and structurally outstrips her featherweight lay-up through foam, carbon, and a structural sole. She is not a sea boat, and she will heel early when the wind pipes up, but as a trailerable one-design and club racer she remains a crisp, purposeful design.
Pros
- Stiff and strong for her weight through Airex foam, carbon stiffeners, and structural cabin sole
- Seven-eighths fractional rig with lift-generating mast section for windward speed
- Planes easily and responds crisply under fractional rig and fin keel
- Four big berths in a compact trailerable hull
Cons
- Tender in heavy air, suited to protected waters rather than offshore
- Light racer numbers (capsize screening 2.42) exclude ocean racing
