She sits at the performance end of Westerly’s late-1970s range, rather than among the twin-keel cruisers for which the yard had been known earlier in the decade.
Design and Construction
The GK 29 has a solid fiberglass hull, fin keel, and transom-hung rudder. Her 6,000 lb displacement includes 3,000 lb of iron ballast, giving her a 43% ballast ratio—higher than 66% of comparable sailboats.
With a length-to-beam ratio of 2.81, she is beamier than the typical racer-cruiser of her size. Reviewers calculating that proportion found her roomier than 79% of all other designs.
Her displacement-length ratio of 222 places her among “moderate racers,” with 66% of similar designs rated heavier. A capsize screening value of 2.17 meant she would not be accepted for ocean-race participation. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 18.5 made her more comfortable than only 27% of similar boats. The result is a stiff, light, accommodation-efficient hull, rather than a soft-riding passage maker.
Rig, Draft, and Handling
Despite her IOR lineage, the GK 29 carries a masthead rig rather than a fractional layout. Sail trim runs to a 22.1-foot mainsheet, 8.8-foot jib and genoa sheets, and 19.4-foot spinnaker sheets, all with a diameter of 10 mm.
The boat has a wetted surface of about 290 square feet and an immersion rate of 865 lbs per inch. Depending on load, she floats at a draft of roughly 5.7 to 6.0 feet, shallow enough for most marina entrances. Her theoretical displacement-hull speed is 6.6 knots.
Accommodations
Below deck, the GK 29 provides six berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. Her beamy hull—the same feature behind her high spaciousness ranking—makes that berth count usable rather than nominal. The comfort-ratio figures, however, show the trade-off: interior volume comes at the expense of ride quality.
Known Issues
None documented.
The Verdict
The GK 29 is a focused IOR half-ton design. She combines half-tonner proportions with six-berth cruising accommodation, using her beam and high ballast ratio to good effect in a light, moderate-racer hull. The trade-offs are lower motion comfort and exclusion from ocean-race participation under the capsize screening value.
She suits sailors looking for half-tonner performance priorities without giving up practical cruising accommodation.
Pros
- Beamy hull rated roomier than 79% of similar designs
- High 43% ballast ratio, above 66% of comparable boats
- Masthead rig with documented sheet specifications
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.17 excludes ocean-race participation
- Motion Comfort Ratio places her above only 27% of similar designs
