Design and Construction
The Dolphin 26 measures 26.25 feet overall, with a 21-foot waterline, 9.19-foot beam, and 4.92-foot draft. She displaces 3,968 pounds and carries 1,543 pounds of lead ballast. The monohull has a fin keel and spade rudder, placing it squarely in the modern performance tradition.
Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass. A displacement-to-length ratio of 191 and a ballast ratio just under 39 percent indicate a light, stiff platform. At 3,968 pounds, with 1,543 pounds in the lead ballast, she is a light sailboat by any measure.
Her calculated hull speed is 6.14 knots, modest for the length. More revealing are the sail-area-to-displacement ratio of roughly 27 and comfort ratio of 14.15. Together, they describe a lively, racing-minded hull rather than a soft-riding cruiser.
Rig and Handling
The Dolphin 26 is a fractional sloop carrying 422 square feet of sail on the 100-percent measure. She is a very high performer and is explicitly best suited as a racing boat. She stands up stiffly under sail; combined with the light displacement and 27:1 sail plan, that should make for a quick, responsive hull in a breeze.
The trade-off is equally clear. The same assessment gives her low righting capability if capsized and a capsize screening number of 2.33. Although she stands up to sail well, her numbers are less forgiving in a full inversion.
The fin keel and spade rudder provide the maneuvering and turning traits expected of an agile racer. Her 21-foot waterline also keeps her within the easily trailered and docked small-boat class.
Accommodations and Auxiliary Power
Water and fuel capacities are unstated. At 26.25 feet, with a 9.19-foot beam and a comfort ratio of 14.15, she is a small, light coastal racer whose accommodations follow that brief rather than cruising priorities.
A single diesel engine provides auxiliary power, confirming that she isn’t a pure daysailer.
Known Issues
The only cautions identified here are inherent in the Dolphin 26’s performance profile. Her low righting capability if capsized and capsize screening figure of 2.33 are properties of the hull form and ballast, not defects. Even so, they define the envelope within which the boat must be sailed and stored.
Production, Refits, and Ownership
The Dolphin 26 was first built in 1980 and has been produced in fiberglass since that year, with a single engine fitted as standard. Beyond the solid-fiberglass construction and lead-ballast fin keel, the ownership picture presented here is that of a small, light, single-engine racer best understood through her performance numbers.
The Verdict
The Dolphin 26 is a compact, light, genuinely fast fractional sloop that wears its racing brief openly. She is stiff and quick, easy to handle on a trailer or at a dock, and built in straightforward solid fiberglass with lead ballast.
Her limits are just as clear. She isn’t a comfortable cruiser, and her capsize behavior demands respect. For a sailor seeking a small, responsive racer rather than a pocket cruiser, she is a coherent, well-defined design.
Pros
- Light, stiff, very high-performing fractional sloop
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck with lead ballast
- Easy to store and maneuver at 26 feet, with a spade rudder
Cons
- Low righting capability if capsized
- Poor comfort ratio for cruising use
- Water and fuel tankage not specified by the design
