Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and the interior joinery is mahogany, consistent with period Dutch production practice. The fin keel draws roughly 3.77 to 4.07 feet depending on load, which lets the boat settle into shallow marinas that deeper-keeled quarter-tonners cannot reach shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.15 - 1.25 meter. The wetted surface measures about 193 square feet, and the immersion rate runs about 741 pounds per inch — a stiff, slow-sinking hull that resists sudden trim changes under crew movement or stores.
Rig and Handling
The Victoire 25 is built with a masthead rig, the standard ocean-cruiser configuration of its day rather than a fractional rig. With a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 42 percent and a capsize screening value of 2.04, the design sits firmly in the small-family-cruiser band rather than the racing end. The 5.99-knot hull speed is what the waterline length permits; the boat is built to carry five people and their gear, not to surf.
Accommodations
Below, the Victoire 25 is equipped with five berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. The mahogany interior gives the cabin a traditional closed-in feel, and the 8.2-foot beam supports the berth layout without the cramped transverse settees typical of narrower 25-footers. This is a boat arranged for weekend cruising with a small crew, not a daysailer with a single pipe berth.
Known Issues
The mahogany interior is the one construction point demanding attention on an aged example: dried-out joints or released fastenings can appear, and the material itself is what the period description records rather than any reported failure.
The Verdict
The Victoire 25 is a late-sixties Dick Koopmans design that does exactly what its numbers say: a lead-ballasted fin-keel cruiser of modest draft, beamy enough for five berths, and built in solid glass with a mahogany cabin. It is a straightforward small sailboat from the early Victoire line.
Pros
- Shallow loaded draft around 3.8–4.1 feet eases marina access
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck, no core to wet out
- Beam-to-length ratio of 3.04 supports a genuine five-berth layout
- Lead ballast and 42 percent ballast ratio give stable cruising manners
Cons
- Mahogany interior requires careful aged-wood inspection
- Masthead rig and 5.99-knot hull speed limit light-air performance
