Design and Construction
De Ridder's hull is fiberglass throughout, both hull and deck, with a fin keel and spade rudder carried on the 23-foot-2-inch waterline. The numbers tell the story of a moderately weighted coastal design: displacement runs about 7,055 pounds on a 9-foot-11-inch beam, an l/b ratio of 2.91 that makes her beamier and more open below than roughly two-thirds of comparable sailboats anchor. The displacement-length ratio of 252 places her among what the design data calls "moderate racers" rather than heavy cruisers, and the 801 pounds-per-inch immersion rate speaks to a hull that loads and trims predictably. Solid fiberglass construction, not cored, was the Belgian yard's standard for the demanding Belgian coast, and the Spirit 29 follows that practice.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop the Spirit 29 carries a 495-square-foot sail plan, returning a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 21.54 — enough to move her without being overcanvased for a shorthanded crew. The standing and running geometry is modest: jib and genoa sheets run about 28.9 feet at 3/8-inch diameter, the mainsheet about 72.2 feet, and spinnaker sheets 63.5 feet, all 10 mm anchor. Under the 18-horsepower diesel with shaft drive, calculated maximum speed is about 5.7 knots, while her displacement hull speed tops out near 6.5 knots. The fin keel draws between 5.41 and 5.71 feet depending on load, shallow enough for most marina entrances.
Performance Envelope
The Motion Comfort Ratio comes in at 20.5, more comfortable than 38 percent of similar designs — pleasant, but not standout, in a seaway. More telling is the capsize screening value of 2.07, which by the standard measure indicates she would not be accepted to participate in ocean races anchor. That places her firmly in the coastal and weekend-cruising camp rather than the offshore-racing fleet, a judgment consistent with her moderate displacement and 269 square feet of wetted surface.
Accommodations
Below, the Spirit 29 is equipped with six berths, a layout count that suits a small family or two couples for harbor hopping. The beamy proportions de Ridder built into the hull translate directly to livable interior volume for a boat under 29 feet, and the six-berth arrangement is the accommodation footprint.
Refits and Ownership
The cited engine option is an 18-horsepower inboard diesel on a shaft drive, a straightforward installation that has aged predictably in the fleet. With production ending in 1988 and only 37 hulls in the spec record, any surviving example is a low-volume Belgian build whose spares follow the Van Heygen yard lineage rather than a mass-market pattern.
The Verdict
The Spirit 29 is a compact, beamy coastal cruiser-racer from the Belgian Spirit line, well suited to sheltered-water and inshore sailing rather than offshore racing. Her solid-GRP construction and six-berth layout make her a practical small-cruiser buy where her Belgian build origin matters more than ocean credentials.
Pros
- Beamy, spacious layout for the length (roomier than 69% of comparable designs)
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck in the Belgian construction tradition
- Moderate-racer displacement profile with manageable 495 sq ft rig
- Shallow-enough fin keel for most marinas
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes her from ocean racing
- Only moderately comfortable motion (better than 38% of peers)
- Low production volume limits parts commonality
