The boat was offered with a choice of keels, an option that appears to have been considered as part of the design rather than added as an afterthought.
Design and Construction
The Sirius 28 has a solid-laminate fiberglass hull, with a sharp entry and a long waterline for its length. Those traits suit a boat intended for weekend cruising and modest racing.
The standard underbody has a four-foot-four-inch fin keel carrying 2,600 pounds of lead. With a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 40 percent, the 6,700-pound boat has a firm stance. Vandestadt and McGruer later commissioned John Hemingway to draw a winged keel with the same displacement and center of effort as the fin keel, but with draft reduced to three and a half feet. That option broadened the boat’s shallow-water reach without changing its balance. Steering is through an internally mounted spade rudder.
The deck is foam-cored, with through-bolted solid-glass reinforcement at the attachment points for the one-inch welded bow and stern pulpits and double lifelines. The one-piece stanchion bases are merged with their feet rather than bracketed. A stainless-steel boarding ladder is built into the stern pulpit.
The molded toe rail is slim. The self-bailing cockpit has no bridge deck, relying instead on a high sill and tall coamings. It also provides two large lockers and a clear forward view from the wheel.
Rig, Sailing, and Power
The Sirius 28 carries a masthead, single-spreader sloop rig on a Cinkel deck-stepped mast. Chainplates and shrouds are led inboard, as is the headsail sheeting, leaving a clean foredeck. Single lowers are steadied by a baby stay or jack stay to check mast pumping.
Internal pre-stretched rope halyards lead aft to the cockpit. Slab reefing with internal lines, sheet stoppers, and a full-width traveler just forward of the wheel places the sail controls within easy reach of the helm. The sail plan totals 410 square feet under main and 110-percent genoa.
A PHRF average of 192 places the boat among moderate-paced club racers. Under power, the 18-hp two-cylinder Yanmar drives it at 5 1/2 knots near 2,800 rpm. The standard engine was a nine-hp single-cylinder unit.
Accommodations
Below, a full interior liner and Ethafoam hull insulation beneath fabric help keep the cabin quiet. Headroom continues forward into the V-berth. Carpet was standard on the cabin sole, with teak and holly available as an upgrade.
A dinette to starboard converts to a double berth, opposite a port settee. Its table travels on the mast compression post. A folding chart table sits on top of a hanging locker.
The galley is aft to starboard and includes an alcohol stove, icebox, and foot-pumped sink; propane was optional. To port, the quarter contains an enclosed head with a molded vanity and under-sink stowage. It is served by a 20-gallon tank with an outboard vent and deck fill. Eight opening ports provide light and ventilation.
Deck Gear and Stowage
Factory deck gear emphasizes secure movement around the boat. It includes one-inch welded pulpits, double lifelines, the integrated stern ladder, a bow roller, and a self-bailing anchor locker.
The slim toe rail and high cockpit coamings suit offshore-style sitting. Two large cockpit lockers provide substantial gear stowage and also allow access to the engine beside the companionway steps.
Verdict
The Sirius 28 is a compact cruiser-racer with a thoughtfully arranged deck plan and unusual flexibility in its choice of keel. Its inboard rig and cockpit-led controls make short-handed sailing realistic, and the winged-keel option extends its cruising ground without upsetting its numbers. The winged-keel option extends its cruising ground without changing its displacement, center of effort, or balance. Production was modest, so examples are scarce, but consistent.
Pros
- Choice of fin or winged keel, with identical ballast and center of effort and a reduction in draft with the winged keel
- Cockpit-led slab reefing and halyards for short-handed control
- Lead ballast near 40 percent of displacement for a stiff platform
- Full liner and foam-insulated hull for a finished interior
Cons
- Slim toe rail limits secure footing on the foredeck
- With only 120 built, finding a particular layout or keel may take patience
