Design and Construction
The Ross 780 carries a length overall of just over 25 feet with a beam near 8 feet, and her hull is solid fibreglass laid up without a core. Ballast is 1,012 pounds of lead on a drop keel, giving a ballast ratio of 41 percent against a total displacement of 2,490 pounds. The lifting arrangement draws between 0.92 and 1.22 feet depending on load, so the boat can be beached or trailered with the keel raised. Her displacement-length ratio of 88 categorizes her among ultra-light racers, and the capsize screening value of 2.38 means she would not meet the threshold for ocean-race acceptance anchor. The motion comfort ratio sits at 9.9, a low figure consistent with a stiff, lively hull rather than a soft-riding cruiser. Wetted surface is about 247 square feet, and the immersion rate is roughly 654 pounds per inch, so she is easily driven but reacts quickly to added weight.
Rig and Handling
The 780 is built with a fractional rig and a sail area of 293 square feet on the reference sail, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 25.5 that climbs to 28.8 with a 135 percent genoa. The yachtdatabase review notes that she carries more rig than 99 percent of similar sailboats, which indicates the boat is significantly overrigged anchor. Halyards for the main, jib, and spinnaker each run 23.2 meters of 8 mm line, while sheets and the kicking strap are sized in 10 mm or 8 mm diameters appropriate to their loads. The theoretical hull speed for a displacement hull of this length is 6.5 knots, and the light build means she will reach that band readily in a breeze. The length-to-beam ratio of 3.17 and the modest wetted surface help explain the quick, responsive feel that the performance ratios imply.
Accommodations
The boat's 11-gallon water capacity is the only published living-aboard figure, and it underscores that this is a day-sailing and short-trip platform rather than a vessel equipped for extended cruising. Readers should treat the 780 as a minimalist coastal racer whose cabin space is subordinate to her sailing character.
Known Issues
The overrigged sail plan demands careful reefing discipline, and the low capsize screening value and low comfort ratio mean she is unsuited to offshore work.
Refits and Ownership
With fewer than 100 built and a solid-fibreglass hull, the Ross 780 is a low-production boat whose ownership pool is small. The drop-keel mechanism and the heavily sized rig are the systems most likely to need attention over a service life, but the sources state no specific failure mode. Spinnaker gear is part of the original sail inventory context, and the long 23-meter halyards suggest routine replacement with age.
The Verdict
The Ross 780 is a deliberately extreme small racer: a sub-2,500-pound fibreglass hull with a lifting lead keel, an overrigged fractional rig, and performance ratios that put her in the ultra-light category. She is quick, beachable, and simple, but her low capsize screen and comfort ratio mark her as a sheltered-water boat rather than a passage-maker.
Pros
- Lifting lead keel allows 0.92-foot draft and easy beach access
- Significantly overrigged for spirited performance in her size
- Solid fibreglass hull with no core to degrade
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.38 excludes ocean racing
- Low motion comfort ratio of 9.9 means a hard ride
- Fewer than 100 built, limiting parts and knowledge sharing
