Design and Construction
Both the hull and deck are solid fibreglass. The Westerly 25 also carries a triple-keel arrangement, a configuration Westerly helped popularize on glassfibre sailboats from the mid-1960s.
Length overall is just over 25 feet, with a 21-foot waterline. Loaded draft is only about 2.5 feet, allowing the boat to enter shallow marinas beyond the reach of deeper fin-keelers shallow-draft triple keel.
Displacement is 4,000 pounds, including 1,450 pounds of iron ballast, for a ballast ratio of 36 percent. The length-to-beam ratio of 3.38 describes a relatively narrow hull by modern standards. Wetted surface is about 150 square feet, while an immersion rate of roughly 542 pounds per inch indicates how loading affects her trim.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Westerly 25 has a masthead sloop rig carrying 275 square feet of sail. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 17.46, a modest figure consistent with her categorisation among moderate racers by displacement-length ratio, which is about 193.
Period specifications record the running rigging in useful detail. The jib and genoa sheets are 25.1 feet long and 3/8-inch in diameter. The mainsheet is 62.7 feet long and the same diameter, while the spinnaker sheet measures 55.1 feet documented sheet dimensions.
A capsize screening value of 1.87 and a motion comfort ratio of 19.2 place her in the stable, gentle-motion band for a boat of this size. Theoretical hull speed is 6.1 knots. With a Volvo Penta MD1 diesel, calculated maximum speed is about 4.5 knots; an outboard is often fitted for docking and manoeuvring.
Accommodation
Below, the Westerly 25 has four berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. The interior is finished in mahogany, as were those of many contemporary boats.
The accommodation is functional coastal-cruiser fare rather than lavish. Even so, four berths and a separate head give the boat genuine weekending capability for a couple with children or two short-handed couples. Her narrow beam and 1960s proportions inevitably make the interior feel dated by modern standards.
Refits and Ownership
Westerly offered several engine alternatives during the production run, and many owners have favoured an outboard for low-speed control in harbours.
The shallow draft and solid-glass construction make the Westerly 25 a straightforward boat to keep on a swinging mooring or drying berth. As with any used example, however, the original laminate and triple-keel roots deserve close inspection.
Verdict
The Westerly 25 is an early, honest British glassfibre cruiser whose triple keels and shallow draft remain her defining practical virtues. She is stable and comfortable for her length, easy to shelter in shallow water, and simply appointed below. Her modest sail plan and low-powered auxiliary are better suited to relaxed coastal sailing than spirited racing.
Pros
- Triple keels and an approximately 2.5-foot draft open up shallow marinas and drying berths
- Solid fibreglass hull and deck
- Stable motion and capsize screening suited to family coastal cruising
- Four berths, a galley, and a head for weekending
Cons
- Modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air performance
- Low maximum auxiliary speed under diesel, at about 4.5 knots
- Narrow beam and 1960s-scale accommodation feel dated today
