Van de Stadt Spirit 28 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

27.89' · 8.5 m

Displ.

5,953 lbs · 2,700 kg

First year

1970

The Spirit 28, designed by the prolific E.G. van de Stadt and primarily built by Bootbouwerij Van Heygen in Belgium during the 1970s and early 1980s, remains a benchmark for midsized cruisers from the IOR (International Offshore Rule) era. While many 28footers of this period were designed strictly for club racing, the Spirit 28 was conceived as a robust, "goanywhere" coastal cruiser that prioritized structural integrity and heavyweather performance over sheer interior volume. Its design pedigree comes from one of the most respected naval architecture firms in Europe, Van de Stadt Design, which pioneered the use of GRP (glassreinforced plastic) and established many of the standards for modern yacht hull forms. The Spirit 28 was often viewed as a more modern, slightly faster alternative to the heavydisplacement longkeelers of the time, such as the Contessa 26, offering a fin keel and skeghung rudder configuration that improved agility without sacrificing directional stability.