Design and Construction
Manuard gave the 24 a hull straight out of the contemporary racing scene: a fine plumb bow for maximum sailing length paired with wide hindquarters and hard chines that generate initial stability and planing ability anchor. The slippery shape is easily driven at low heel angles anchor. Structurally, the hull is foam-cored glass, vacuum-bagged and set in epoxy resin, with laminate thickened toward the bottom of the hull for local strength anchor. A retractable swing keel carries a useful load of lead at its tip, and twin rudders sit in cassettes off the transom and retract fully for drying out or trailering. With keel and rudders raised she draws just 1ft, opening shallow coves and easy ramp launching; keel down she reaches 6ft 3in. At 1,962lb displacement with 704lb of ballast, she is almost 800lb lighter than the 27 and carries a 36 percent ballast ratio that speaks to her upright composure.
Rig and Handling
The rig is pure lightweight racer: a carbon-fiber mast and Carbotech carbon boom with no backstay, enabling a huge square-headed mainsail and well-thought-out control lines that make trimming genuinely fun anchor. A retractable carbon bowsprit flies modern Code 0 sails and asymmetric spinnakers, and a gennaker up to 67 square meters can be set. On the water testers found her superbly balanced, the twin rudders giving fingertip control anchor. SAIL's test crew planed on a close reach at over 9 knots under working jib and mainsail in 12–15 knots of true wind, and made about 6 knots upwind at a tight 30-degree apparent angle anchor. European Yacht of the Year colleagues reported her planing easily offwind at 11 knots in flat water with 12 knots of breeze, and La Rochelle trials slipped along at 5 knots upwind in very light air before reaching 7 knots with a large kite anchor. Excitement comes from acceleration as much as top speed, and the sailplan is powerful enough to raise the pulse of seasoned sailors.
Accommodations
For a 24-footer she sleeps four in reasonable comfort, using modular furniture with sliding panels that open multiple storage zones anchor. A pronounced coachroof creates seated headroom below, and there is space for a chemical heads plus an ice chest and optional porta-potty reached under the berths. A clever dual-purpose table works either in the cabin or the cockpit, and smart removable storage bags ease the constant gear shuffle of trailable sailing. Buyers could also fit custom beanbags and an optional single-burner JetBoil stove, while a simple electrical system runs efficient LED lights from a flexible solar panel.
Equipment and Power
A 4hp outboard provides auxiliary push, appropriate to a boat whose ethos is sail-first and trailable anchor. The standard electrical kit is deliberately minimal: LED lighting fed by a flexible solar panel, with the optional JetBoil as the only galley concession. The carbon rig, retractable bowsprit, and large sail area define the boat more than any creature-comfort fitment.
The Verdict
The Seascape 24 is a compact and versatile fast cruiser that inherits the sporty trailable fun of the 18 with the speed and space of the 27 anchor. She feels close to a light dinghy yet lets a family spend a few nights at anchor, and she is large enough to be safe but small enough to handle easily. As a one-design racer and spicy weekender she is good value for money, though her aggressive sailplan is a handful for novices.
Pros
- Planes readily and accelerates hard under a powerful carbon rig
- Retractable keel and rudders give 1ft drying draft and true trailability
- Sleeps four with smart modular storage and a convertible table
- Light, vacuum-bagged epoxy hull with thickened bottom laminate
Cons
- Sailplan large enough to be too aggressive for starters and young families
- Minimalist accommodations and electrical system by modern cruising standards
