Design Brief & Intent
The SR 25 was conceived as a single-purpose, uncompromising speed machine aimed squarely at inshore and coastal racing fleets. Unlike the traditional racer-cruisers that defined C&C’s earlier decades, the SR 25 was built to maximize knots-per-dollar, stripping away all cruising comforts in pursuit of pure, unadulterated velocity. While it was engineered to compete directly with contemporary trailerable sportboats, Glenn Henderson designed the boat with a finer bow section and low-drag, laminar-flow foil shapes to ensure it was not simply a downwind planing sled, but also a potent upwind performer in light-to-medium breezes.
To achieve the rigidity and lightness necessary to fulfill this design brief, C&C utilized its proprietary vacuum resin infusion system. The entire laminate schedule, including the end-grain balsa core, was dry-laid into the mold before being sealed under plastic and subjected to vacuum pressure. This precise construction method controlled the glass-to-resin ratio perfectly, delivering a void-free, ultra-stiff structure that remains remarkably light.
The interior of the SR 25 is an exercise in extreme minimalism. Stepping down the companionway reveals a virtually bare cabin that cannot comfortably be classified as an overnighter. It features only a token sink and a single-burner stove plate alongside a cramped V-berth and two narrow quarter berths. Because of the extreme needle-nose taper of the bow, the forward V-berth is severely restricted, serving far better as a repository for the spinnaker bag than as a practical sleeping space. There is no standing headroom or warm wooden joinery; instead, the space is dominated by exposed white gelcoat, structural liners, and the central keel trunk, emphasizing the boat’s strictly racing pedigree.
Rigs, Keels, & Configurations
The rig and appendages of the SR 25 are designed for ease of transportation and rapid setup on a trailer, without sacrificing raw speed. The boat features a highly tunable, twin-spreader 7/8ths fractional Bermuda rig with a tapered aluminum mast. Control lines are exceptionally well-purchased, giving the crew easy control over the powerful backstay and boom vang in any breeze. Sail plans were configured to fly either a near-masthead symmetrical spinnaker or an asymmetrical gennaker flown from a retractable carbon-fiber bowsprit, allowing owners to optimize the boat for their local PHRF or sportboat rules.
The defining engineering achievement of the SR 25 is its vertical lifting keel. Rather than pivoting like a traditional swing keel, this high-aspect lifting fin carries a dense lead bulb and slides vertically inside an internal keel trunk. The keel is raised and lowered using a manual trailer-style winch integrated into the cabin. When fully extended to its sailing depth of 5.42 feet, the keel provides excellent righting moment and aerodynamic lift. Fully retracted, the draft is reduced to just 1.33 feet (approximately 16 inches), allowing the boat to float in water barely deeper than a standard canoe and glide effortlessly onto a custom trailer.
Steering is managed by a balanced, high-aspect spade rudder mounted slightly inboard of the open transom to maximize control and water flow. For trailering, the entire rudder assembly can be unbolted and slid vertically out of a cassette-style transom slot, minimizing the footprint and protecting the composite blade from road damage.
Sailing Performance & Handling
At the helm, the SR 25 behaves precisely as its designer intended, sailing like a high-performance dinghy with the reassuring ultimate stability of a ballasted keelboat. With an incredibly light displacement of just 1,860 pounds, the boat possesses an exceptionally lively feel. Its displacement-to-length ratio of 89.66 places it firmly in the ultra-light displacement boat (ULDB) category, meaning it accelerates instantly in the slightest puff and is eager to plane when bearing away. This agility is further underscored by a dramatic sail area-to-displacement ratio of 28.98, indicating a massive power-to-weight ratio that makes the boat a light-air powerhouse.
Off the wind, the SR 25 is designed to plane, and experience has shown that she feels fastest when sailed with a slight degree of windward heel to lift the flat, wide sections of the stern out of the water. Downwind under a spinnaker, the boat is thrilling and remarkably stable, provided the crew works actively to trim and balance the hull.
However, this high-performance envelope requires active, athletic handling. With a capsize screening ratio of 2.76, the boat carries its ballast low in the bulb but has a relatively narrow beam at the waterline, making it highly tender. The comfort ratio of 7.43 is exceptionally low, meaning the motion in a seaway is quick, motion-sensitive, and lively. In anything over ten knots of breeze, the crew must be fully hiked out on the wide, flared side decks to keep the boat flat. If the boat is allowed to heel excessively upwind, the rudder will begin to ventilate, making constant communication between the mainsheet trimmer and the helmsman essential. Glenn Henderson’s decision to keep the upwind sail plan to a moderate 275 square feet ensures that the boat is highly manageable and does not carry an overly penalizing PHRF rating, making it highly competitive on corrected time.
Known Issues & Triage
Given that only three original hulls were manufactured, generalized fleet issues are limited, but the age of these composite sportboats necessitates close inspection of key structural areas. The primary point of concern is the balsa-cored deck and hull constructed with early vacuum infusion technology. Over nearly three decades, the high-load deck hardware, including chainplates, sheet tracks, and halyard clutches, can develop hairline fractures in the surrounding gelcoat or sealant. If left unaddressed, water will penetrate the balsa core, resulting in localized rot and soft spots. Any potential buyer should conduct a thorough moisture inspection using a professional-grade moisture meter or thermal imaging, tapping the deck with a phenolic hammer to identify delamination.
The lifting keel trunk and winch assembly also represent high-maintenance zones. The manual winch, wire cable, and turning sheaves located inside the cabin are subject to high loads and moisture. The steel lift cable must be regularly inspected for fish-hooking or corrosion, and the glide blocks inside the trunk should be checked for wear. Any excessive play or "slop" in the keel within its trunk can cause annoying vibration while sailing and can damage the structural integrity of the trunk walls.
Lastly, the transom rudder cassette is a high-stress point. The sleeve and rudder pintles should be scrutinized for stress cracking or structural flexing, especially if the boat has been raced hard or trailered frequently over rough roads.
Modernization & Upgrades
Modern owners of the SR 25 focus their refit budgets on weight reduction and modern sail-handling systems to maximize the boat’s performance potential. Replacing the heavy, original wire backstays and shrouds with high-modulus synthetic rigging like Dyneema is a common upgrade that sheds critical pounds aloft, reducing heel and pitch in a seaway. High-load running rigging is also frequently upgraded to modern blended-dyneema lines to eliminate stretch and ensure instantaneous response to trim adjustments.
In terms of propulsion, the SR 25 was designed for a small outboard motor. While many hulls carry simple 2-to-4 horsepower gasoline outboards, modern owners are increasingly upgrading to lightweight electric outboards. Because the boat is highly sensitive to trim, removing a heavy gasoline outboard and its associated fuel tank from the stern significantly improves hull alignment and light-air performance. A compact electric motor paired with a small, lightweight lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery bank keeps the stern buoyant and clean.
Furthermore, upgrading the electronics package to wireless, solar-powered masthead and hull transducers keeps the electrical system completely minimalist. This avoids the weight of heavy marine lead-acid batteries, keeping the boat’s racing weight as close to its factory specification as possible.
The Verdict
The C&C SR 25 is an exceptionally rare, historically significant sportsboat that represents the final chapter of Glenn Henderson and C&C Yachts’ collaborative efforts in Ontario. It is a pure, uncompromising racer designed for sailors who want the visceral feedback of a dinghy with the security of a keelboat. While its extreme rarity means that replacement parts must be custom-fabricated, and its lack of interior amenities makes it entirely unsuitable for family cruising, it remains a head-turning, high-performance collector’s item that delivers immense sailing pleasure per foot.
Pros
- Blistering acceleration and exhilarating off-wind planing performance.
- Highly trailerable with a fully retractable lifting keel and removable cassette rudder.
- Exceptionally rigid and stiff hull construction due to early resin-infusion technology.
- Favorable PHRF rating makes it highly competitive in mixed handicap fleets.
- High collector value due to its status as one of only three hulls ever built.
Cons
- Completely stripped interior with virtually no cruising accommodations or comfort.
- Motion-sensitive and highly tender, requiring constant physical effort and hiking from the crew.
- High maintenance demands on the lifting keel winch, cable, and trunk assembly.
- Zero off-the-shelf manufacturer support or spare parts availability.
- High capsize screening ratio limits its safe operation to inshore and protected coastal waters.
