Varne 27 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

27.75' · 8.46 m

Displ.

6,200 lbs · 2,812 kg

First year

1974

The Varne 27, designed by Duncan Stuart in the early 1970s, remains one of the most respected small cruisers of its era, often described by maritime historians and enthusiasts as a "giant killer" on the racecourse. Primarily built by Varne Marine in Essex, England, and later by Weston Marine Works, the design was heavily influenced by the International Offshore Rule (IOR) of the time but avoided many of the era’s more extreme "pinched stern" tendencies. The boat was conceived to offer the seaworthiness of a much larger vessel, a goal achieved through a robust layup and a remarkably high ballast ratio that allows it to stand up to its canvas long after its contemporaries have reefed.