Design and Construction
The hull is fiberglass with a solid laminate, carrying a sharp entry and a long waterline for the length, traits that suit a boat meant to be both weekended and modestly raced. The standard underbody is a four-foot-four-inch fin keel carrying 2,600 pounds of lead, a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 40 percent that gives the 6,700-pound hull a firm stance. Vandestadt and McGruer later commissioned John Hemingway to draw a winged keel sharing the same displacement and center of effort as the fin but cutting draft to three and a half feet, an option that broadened the boat's shallow-water reach without altering its balance. Steering is by an internally mounted spade rudder.
Above the waterline the deck is foam-cored with through-bolted solid-glass reinforcement where the one-inch welded bow and stern pulpits and double lifelines attach, and the one-piece stanchion bases are merged with their feet rather than bracketed. A stainless boarding ladder is built into the stern pulpit. The molded toe rail is slim in section, and the self-bailing cockpit dispenses with a bridge deck in favor of a high sill and tall coamings, with two large lockers and a clear forward view from the wheel.
Rig and Handling
The Sirius 28 is a masthead single-spreader sloop on a Cinkel deck-stepped mast, with chainplates and shrouds led inboard and inboard sheeting for a clean foredeck. Single lowers are steadied by a baby stay or jack stay to check mast pumping, and internal pre-stretched rope halyards run aft to the cockpit where slab reefing with internal lines, sheet stoppers, and a full-width traveler just forward of the wheel put sail control in the helm's lap. The sail plan carries 410 square feet under main and 110-percent genoa. On the water the PHRF average of 192 places her among moderate-paced club racers, and under power the 18-hp two-cylinder Yanmar pushes her at 5 1/2 knots near 2,800 rpm, with the standard nine-hp single-cylinder unit as the base engine.
Accommodations
Below, a full interior liner and Ethafoam hull insulation under fabric keep the cabin quiet, with headroom that runs all the way into the V-berth. The standard sole is carpet, teak and holly offered as an upgrade. A starboard dinette folds to a double opposite a port settee, and the table travels on the mast compression post; a folding chart table tops a hanging locker. The galley sits aft to starboard with an alcohol stove, icebox, and foot-pumped sink, propane available as an option, while the port quarter holds an enclosed head with molded vanity and under-sink stowage served by a 20-gallon tank with outboard vent and deck fill. Eight opening ports light the space.
Equipment and Deck Details
Factory deck gear centers on safe movement: one-inch welded pulpits, double lifelines, and the integrated stern ladder, plus a bow roller and self-bailing anchor locker. The slim toe rail and high cockpit coamings suit offshore-style sitting, and the two large cockpit lockers swallow gear while also granting engine access alongside the companionway steps.
The Verdict
The Sirius 28 is a compact cruiser-racer with a genuinely considered deck plan and a rare keel-choice flexibility. Her inboard rig and cockpit-led controls make short-handed sailing realistic, and the winged-keel option extends her cruising ground without upsetting her numbers. The modest production run means examples are scarce but consistent.
Pros
- Choice of fin or winged keel with identical ballast and center of effort winged keel draft reduction
- Cockpit-led slab reefing and halyards for short-handed control
- Lead ballast near 40 percent displacement for a stiff platform
- Full liner and foam-insulated hull for a finished interior
Cons
- Slim toe rail limits secure deck footing forward
- Only 120 built, so finding a specific layout or keel takes patience
