Design and Construction
The Tripp 47 measures 47 feet overall, with a 38.67-foot waterline and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.43. She displaces 18,800 pounds and carries 9,500 pounds of lead ballast in a bulb fin keel. That gives her a 51 percent ballast ratio, which the design data places higher than 98 percent of comparable sailboats.
A displacement-length figure of 145 puts her firmly in the “light racer” category. Construction consists of a solid fiberglass hull, lead bulb fin keel, and spade rudder.
Draft varies with load and is quoted at 8.99 to 9.29 feet. In practical terms, that means she can settle only into major marinas. It’s a real constraint for shallow-water cruising, though typical of a performance-oriented 47-footer.
The hull has 61 square meters of wetted surface and an immersion rate of 330 kg/cm (1,848 lb/inch). Those figures describe a hull that sits with authority and responds predictably to added load.
The main qualification is a capsize screening value of 2.06. That figure bars her from sanctioned ocean racing. It is a hard limit written into the rating rather than an indication of poor construction, but it tempers the boat’s bluewater ambitions.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Tripp 47 was offered with either a fractional or masthead sloop rig, so buyers will encounter more than one sail plan in the used fleet. Comparative data shows the boat carrying more rig than only 42 percent of similar designs, making her slightly underrigged by that measure.
Even so, light-air speed to windward is one of her strengths. With the ISO reference sail, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 26.7. With a 135 percent genoa, it rises to 30.3, a figure that places her faster than every comparable design in light wind when sailing upwind.
The fractional rig uses 48.1-meter halyards at 14 mm, while the masthead version uses shorter 43.8-meter halyards. Both rigs use 16 mm sheets and 14 mm cunninghams and outhauls.
Her calculated maximum speed is 7.3 knots, below the theoretical displacement hull speed of 8.3 knots. The gap is a reminder that a theoretical rating ceiling is rarely the practical one.
Performance and Comfort
The Tripp 47’s light-racer displacement profile and high ballast ratio define her sailing character. She is built to stand up and drive rather than soften every motion at sea.
Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 21.4 is modest. It places her as more comfortable than just 10 percent of similar designs, so this is a lively, athletic hull rather than a soft-riding passagemaker.
The theoretical 8.3-knot top end and calculated maximum of 7.3 knots also suggest a boat that rewards careful sail trim and a clean underwater shape more than brute ballast.
Limitations and Ownership Considerations
The capsize screening value remains the headline caveat. At 2.06, the Tripp 47 falls outside the accepted window for ocean-racing sanction. That is a rating threshold, not a structural verdict, but it should inform buyers considering serious offshore circuits.
The Motion Comfort Ratio and comparatively modest rig size complete the picture: this is a performance cruiser with a performance cruiser’s edges.
Because the boat came with two rig options, any survey or re-rigging decision should begin by identifying the mast plan fitted to that particular hull. Halyard lengths and control geometry differ by several meters between the fractional and masthead versions.
The deep bulb keel and roughly 9-foot draft also dictate the kind of marina the boat can use. Owners should confirm berth depth before choosing a home port.
Beyond these points, the available record shows no structural faults or recurring defects. The used-boat conversation should therefore begin with a hull-by-hull survey.
The Verdict
The Tripp 47 is a distinctly performance-minded 47-foot cruiser-racer: deeply ballasted, lightly built for her length, and genuinely quick in light airs, where most contemporaries wallow. She isn’t a plush passage boat, and her rating profile closes the door on sanctioned ocean racing. Within those limits, however, she remains a clearly defined, purposeful design from the recognized early-1990s collaboration between Tripp and Carroll Marine.
Pros
- 51 percent ballast ratio, higher than 98 percent of similar designs
- Sail-area-to-displacement ratio of up to 30.3 with a 135 percent genoa, making her the fastest in light wind among comparable designs
- Choice of fractional or masthead rig to suit owner preference
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.06 excludes her from ocean-racing sanction
- Motion Comfort Ratio places her above only 10 percent of similar designs
- Roughly 9-foot draft limits her to major marinas
