Design and Construction
Tanzer Industries built the 27 with a fiberglass hull, a solid layup below the waterline, and a balsa-cored deck intended to reduce weight aloft. The boat also has a transom-hung rudder.
A fin keel was standard, with a shoal-draft keel available as an option. The 27 displaces 6,200 pounds and carries 2,250 pounds of lead ballast, giving it a ballast-displacement ratio of 36 percent. Those figures point to a reasonably stiff coastal cruiser rather than a featherweight racer.
At 26.6 feet overall, the hull is slightly longer than that of the Paceship PY 26. Its beam is 9.5 feet, and its waterline length is 22.5 feet.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Tanzer 27 carries a masthead sloop rig with 319 square feet of sail area. Mast height is 38 feet above the waterline, keeping the rig manageable for short-handed sailing.
PHRF records give the standard fin-keel boat an average handicap of 204, with fleet ratings ranging from a high of 198 to a low of 210. The shoal-draft version is considerably slower on handicap, with a PHRF average of 231. That penalty reflects the expected loss of lateral grip and greater wetted surface of the shallower foil.
The transom-hung rudder and 9.5-foot beam, combined with the boat’s 26.6-foot overall length, provide a practical cockpit-to-helmsman relationship for a two-person crew.
Accommodations and Cruising Capacity
The Tanzer 27 received a different cabin arrangement from the Paceship PY 26, although the available sources don’t itemize its berths or galley equipment. The deck-stepped mast also distinguishes the interior structure from the PY 26’s keel-stepped configuration.
A 22.5-foot waterline and 25-gallon water capacity suggest a compact but usable cruising footprint for a couple. Fuel capacity is 12 gallons of diesel, supplying one direct-drive engine. These modest fuel and water capacities limit the boat’s range for extended independent cruising.
The Verdict
The Tanzer 27 is a modest, well-balanced small cruiser that carries forward the proven Paceship PY 26 hull form, refined under the C. Raymond Hunt name. Its deck-stepped mast, revised interior, and balsa-cored deck distinguish it from its predecessor.
The standard fin-keel boat’s PHRF ratings place it squarely in casual club-racing territory, without suggesting that it’s a lightweight racer. The shoal keel brings a clear racecourse penalty, but it also broadens access for gunkholing.
Pros
- Continues the proven Paceship PY 26 design with a revised interior and deck-stepped mast
- Solid fiberglass hull below the waterline and a weight-saving balsa-cored deck
- Standard fin-keel version has a PHRF range of 198 to 210
Cons
- Shoal-draft keel carries a meaningful PHRF penalty, with an average rating of 231
- Limited documented detail about the interior beyond its differences from the PY 26
- Small fuel and water capacities constrain extended independent cruising
