Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, laid up without a core. The boat carries a 33 percent ballast ratio, while her displacement-length ratio of 400 places her in the “ultra heavy cruisers” category.
That heft also shows in an immersion rate of about 640 pounds per inch, meaning she sits deep and steady under load. With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.23 and a wetted surface near 204 square feet, she has a beamy, volume-forward hull for her length. The fin keel draws between 4.56 and 4.86 feet, depending on loading—shallow enough to fit into marinas that exclude deeper-draft rivals.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The masthead sloop rig is unusually robust for a boat of this size. She carries more rig than 73% of all similar sailboats, with a reference sail area-to-displacement ratio of 14.9, rising to 17.3 with a 135 percent genoa.
The standing and running dimensions are generous. Halyards run 74.2 feet at 5/16 inch, while sheets and mainsheet are 3/8 inch. Even the cunningham and kicking strap are sized at 28 feet and 5/16 inch. That overbuild suggests a rig with large margins.
The theoretical displacement hull speed is 6.1 knots, with a calculated maximum near 6.6 knots. A capsize screening value of 1.81 places the boat firmly in the cruising-safe band. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 27.7 indicates a damped, easy motion in a seaway rather than the skittish feel of a light-displacement boat.
Accommodations
The available source provides no details of the interior arrangement, and the builder context confirms only the design lineage rather than the cabin layout. Structurally, however, the boat displaces 7,716 pounds and carries an 8.96-foot beam. Together, the displacement and beam provide the hull volume expected of a heavy small cruiser.
The Verdict
The Tripp Lentsch 29 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser whose numbers reveal a boat built heavier and stronger than her peers, with a rig sized for serious sailing. She suits an owner who values stability and marina access over outright speed, and who appreciates a Dutch-built fiberglass hull from the early Tripp collaborations.
Pros
- Heavy-displacement hull with a 33% ballast ratio and an ultra-heavy-cruiser DL classification
- Masthead rig larger than 73% of all similar sailboats and sized for offshore use
- Shallow fin keel, drawing 4.56–4.86 ft, for marina access
- Capsize screening value of 1.81 indicates blue-water suitability
Cons
- Low SA/D of 14.9 limits light-air performance under reference sail
- No interior or systems details are available from the source record
