Sabre 27 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Sabre 27 carries a solid fiberglass hull with a thick lay-up that the Sabre 27 boat review found would take a few hard knocks when coming alongside. She is 27 feet long on the waterline of 22 feet, with a 9-foot beam and a fin-keel draft of 4 feet 8 inches; a twin-keel version draws just 3 feet. Displacement is 7,168 pounds with 3,090 pounds of iron ballast. Early in production the original plywood interior was replaced by a GRP moulding, and in the mid-1970s the deck moulding was modified to include an anchor locker with fixed polycarbonate windows replacing the aluminium-framed sliding units. After the first 25 boats — the Mark I — the mast was lengthened by 2 feet 6 inches with a consequential ballast modification, the deck moulding was altered at the scuppers, and the cockpit floor was raised slightly; these changes defined the Mark II. Boats were offered at various stages of completion, from bare hull and deck through staged kits for home finishing to fully fitted sail-away vessels.

Rig and Handling

The Sabre 27 is a masthead sloop with a deck-stepped mast slotted into a tabernacle, so the rig can be easily lowered to slip under low bridges — a trait that makes her ideal for canal use. She sports a single-spreader rig with fore-and-aft lowers and a split backstay, and sets a small genoa relative to her mainsail. Both foresail and mainsail sheets can be trimmed from the helm, and the mainsheet traveller runs across the bridgedeck, which the Sabre 27 boat review found great for sail trimming. On the water she handles easily, can be gybed and tacked with alacrity, and is easy to handle under sail or power. She is not as close-winded as a modern fin-keeler, but can muster respectable boatspeed on passage and the fin-keeled version is quicker than her twin-keeled sisters. Because the small genoa shifts the balance aft, the mainsail needs reefing early to maintain helm harmony, and for both comfort and performance she should be sailed as upright as possible — one owner's rule of thumb is a maximum of 15 degrees of heel.

Accommodation and Deck Layout

For a family of four she ticks the boxes, with generous accommodation for her size and six feet of headroom. The foredeck offers plenty of room for anchor handling, and the chain runs down through a hawse pipe into a forward chain locker so it does not impinge on the forecabin. Sidedecks are spacious enough for a crewman to get forward safely, and the cockpit gives a crew of four enough elbow room to relax. The Sabre 27 would suit a small family with a modest budget, makes a good starter boat, a capable coast-hopper for a cruising couple, or an easily manageable singlehander.

Known Issues

The bridgedeck mainsheet traveller, though useful for trim, is considered a hazard for unwary crew in the event of an accidental gybe and can impede access to the cabin. One owner addressed this by rigging snap shackles on either end of his mainsheet tackle so he could simply unclip it when moored up; the same arrangement can be used for man-overboard retrieval by inverting the mainsheet and using the jammer cleat at the top of the haul.

Performance Envelope

The Sabre 27 shows better form stability than most yachts of her era, which also means less rolling at anchor. The fin-keeled boat is faster than the twin-keeled version, yet surprisingly does not seem to point much higher despite her deeper draught, while the twin-keeled sister can dry out upright on a cheap half-tide mooring and is far more versatile up rivers, canals, and shoal waters. She would be OK if caught out in a blow, but the Sabre 27 boat review would hesitate to recommend her for deep-ocean or high-latitude work. As a coastal cruiser she stands as a viable alternative to the benchmark Westerly Centaur and her fin-keeled variant, the Pembroke.

The Verdict

The Sabre 27 is a thoughtfully realised small cruiser whose modest dimensions conceal a roomy, family-oriented interior and a rig that lends itself to short-handed and inland-water sailing alike. Her thick hull and straightforward layout make her a forgiving first boat, while the Mark II refinements and later deck changes show a design that evolved in small, sensible steps.

Pros