Design and Construction
The Sunbeam is a 26' 6" wooden monohull with a solid wood hull and wood deck, led by 1,904 pounds of lead ballast on a fin keel. At 6 feet beam and over 6,600 pounds displacement, the hull is easily driven. Length-waterline is 17.5 feet and sail area is 300 square feet, a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 13.62 matched to light-weather sailing. Only 44 were built.
Rig and Handling
Westmacott gave the Sunbeam a 28-square-meter sail area between main and close-sheeted jib, and the easily-driven hull delivers scintillating upwind performance, especially in light weather. The class was built for the newly fashionable Bermudan sloop rig to improve on gaff and earlier Bermudan classes. Instead of a spinnaker, the jib tack attaches to a pole swung off the centreline and trimmed by a guy downwind. The boat usually carries two crew.
Accommodations
The Sunbeam OD is a purpose-built racing keelboat sailed by a usual complement of two, with no cruising accommodation.
Known Issues
The solid wood hull and wood deck demand ongoing maintenance; the 44-boat run means every survivor is a long-served wooden hull.
Refits and Ownership
Owners join a near-centenary fleet with active Solent and Falmouth groups, arguing for sympathetic upkeep within a tightly governed rule.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam OD is a Westmacott one-design racing since 1923 with active fleets and wooden construction outlasting most contemporaries.
Pros
- Continuous one-design racing since 1923 with active Solent and Falmouth fleets
- Easily-driven wooden hull with scintillating light-weather upwind performance
- Jib-pole downwind setup replaces a spinnaker without extra canvas
Cons
- Only 44 built, so supply is limited to a small wooden fleet
- Wooden hull and deck require committed traditional maintenance
- Purpose-built racer with no cruising accommodation
