Reactor 25 Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

25' · 7.62 m

Disp.

5,000 lbs · 2,268 kg

First year

1968

The year 1968 marked a quiet revolution in New Zealand’s yachting landscape when a teenage prodigy named Paul Whiting drew the lines for the Reactor 25. Built between 1968 and 1973, this 25foot masthead sloop would become the first production fiberglass keelboat class in New Zealand, introducing colored gelcoat hulls and modern construction techniques to a market previously dominated by coldmolded wood. Designed under the influence of Junior Offshore Group (JOG) rules, the Reactor 25 was conceived as a highly seaworthy, nimble, and accessible pocket racercruiser. Rather than catering solely to racing syndicates, Whiting and his family shipyard targeted the aspirational coastal cruiser, offering a boat that could tackle the challenging waters of the Hauraki Gulf while remaining manageable for a small family or shorthanded crew. The interior, though compact by modern standards, was outfitted with robust wood trim, functional joinery, and a layout that prioritized heavyweather practicality over dockside volume. Compared to heavy traditional cruisers of the era like the H28, or later competitor designs like the Raven 26 and Tracker 7.7, the Reactor 25 offered a sharper, more responsive sail plan paired with a modern underbody.