SAIL magazine named it Best Small Cruiser in its 2017 Best Boats Competition, while Yachting World reported that it won the Special Yacht category at Düsseldorf in the 2016/17 European Yacht of the Year awards. The builder called the Seascape 24 a modern “people’s boat”: simple and manageable, but still capable of delivering racing-class thrills.
Design and Construction
Manuard gave the 24 a hull drawn directly from the contemporary racing scene. Its fine, plumb bow maximizes sailing length, while wide hindquarters and hard chines provide initial stability and planing ability. The wide hindquarters and hard chines provide initial stability and planing ability. The slippery shape is easily driven at low heel angles.
The hull is built from foam-cored glass, vacuum-bagged and set in epoxy resin. For additional local strength, the laminate is thickened toward the bottom of the hull.
A retractable swing keel carries a useful load of lead at its tip. Twin rudders sit in cassettes off the transom and retract fully for drying out or trailering. With the keel and rudders raised, the boat draws just 1ft, allowing access to shallow coves and making ramp launching easier. With the keel down, draft increases to 6ft 3in.
At 1,962lb displacement with 704lb of ballast, the Seascape 24 is almost 800lb lighter than the 27. Its 36 percent ballast ratio speaks to its upright composure.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The rig is that of a lightweight racer: a carbon-fiber mast and Carbotech carbon boom, with no backstay. This arrangement makes room for a huge square-headed mainsail, while well-thought-out control lines make trimming genuinely fun. A retractable carbon bowsprit carries modern Code 0 sails and asymmetric spinnakers, and the boat can set a gennaker of up to 67 square meters.
Testers found the Seascape 24 superbly balanced, with the twin rudders providing fingertip control. SAIL’s test crew planed on a close reach at more than 9 knots under working jib and mainsail in 12–15 knots of true wind. Upwind, the boat made about 6 knots at a tight 30-degree apparent angle.
European Yacht of the Year colleagues reported that it planed easily offwind at 11 knots in flat water and 12 knots of breeze. During trials at La Rochelle, it slipped along upwind at 5 knots in very light air, then reached 7 knots with a large kite. The excitement comes as much from its acceleration as its top speed, and the sailplan is powerful enough to raise the pulse of seasoned sailors.
Accommodations and Storage
For a 24-footer, the Seascape sleeps four in reasonable comfort. Its modular furniture uses sliding panels to open several storage zones, while smart removable storage bags help with the constant gear shuffle that comes with trailable sailing.
A pronounced coachroof provides seated headroom below. There’s space for a chemical heads, along with an ice chest and an optional porta-potty reached under the berths. A clever dual-purpose table can be used either in the cabin or in the cockpit.
Buyers could also fit custom beanbags and an optional single-burner JetBoil stove.
Equipment and Auxiliary Power
A 4hp outboard provides auxiliary power, in keeping with the boat’s sail-first, trailable ethos.
The standard electrical system is deliberately minimal. Efficient LED lights draw power from a flexible solar panel, and the optional JetBoil is the only galley concession. The carbon rig, retractable bowsprit, and large sail area define the boat more than its creature comforts.
The Verdict
The Seascape 24 is a compact, versatile fast cruiser that combines the sporty, trailable fun of the 18 with the speed and space of the 27. It feels close to a light dinghy, yet allows a family to spend a few nights at anchor. It is large enough to be safe but small enough to handle easily.
As both a one-design racer and a spicy weekender, the Seascape 24 offers good value for money. Its aggressive sailplan, however, can be a handful for novices.
Pros
- Planes readily and accelerates hard under a powerful carbon rig
- Retractable keel and rudders provide 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 is large enough to be too aggressive for starters and young families
- Accommodations and electrical system are minimalist by modern cruising standards
