Sunbeam OD Buyer's Guide
The Sunbeam OD is a wooden one-design racing keelboat drawn by Alfred Westmacott in the early 1920s and first contested by its class at the Hamble River club near Southampton in 1923. With only 44 built and two still-active fleets — Solent Sunbeams in The Solent and surrounding waters, and Falmouth Sunbeams in Cornwall — a buyer on the brokerage market is shopping a small, historic, and tightly governed class.
Layouts on the Used Market
Any example offered will be a 26' 6" racer with a usual crew of two, built to a single one-design rule. The original configuration stays intact rather than modified into a cruiser.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The defining equipment feature is the original Bermudan sloop rig with a 300-square-foot sail plan and the jib-pole downwind arrangement in place of a spinnaker. Expect period-correct wooden-boat systems rather than modern extras.
What to Inspect
Because the Sunbeam OD uses a solid timber hull and timber deck and only 44 examples exist, the central inspection question is the wooden structure after a century of service. Look hard at the planking and frames for softening, discoloration, or past repair; a sound hull reads dry and even under hand pressure. The deck demands the same scrutiny for sponginess or pooling, since water intrusion is the quiet enemy of an old one-design. Confirm the lead ballast remains bonded to the fin keel without movement, and check the jib-pole and fittings for wear. A buyer must judge each hull on its own condition.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The class spans The Solent and surrounding waters and Cornwall. Before committing, walk the hull and deck for softness, verify the keel ballast is secure, and sail the boat in light air to judge the upwind feel that defines the design.
- Inspect planking and frames for softening or repair
- Test the wood deck for sponginess and drainage
- Confirm lead ballast is fixed to the fin keel
- Check the jib-pole and downwind fittings for wear