Westerly Merlin 29 Sailboats for Sale

Hull Type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

29' · 8.84 m

Disp.

7,694 lbs · 3,490 kg

First year

1990

The Westerly Merlin 29 represents a pivotal moment in British yacht building. In the late 1980s, Westerly Yachts of Hampshire was faced with a pressing challenge: its rugged but traditional fleet, designed largely by Jack Laurent Giles (including legendary models like the Centaur and Konsort), was losing market share to the slick, modern, and spacious French imports from Beneteau, Jeanneau, and Dufour. To revitalize its lineup, Westerly turned to naval architect Ed Dubois. Dubois brought a performanceoriented pedigree that combined a slipperier, faster hull form with clever structural engineering. The Merlin was the first major result of this collaboration, squeezing a revolutionary threecabin layout into a modest footprint 3. Originally launched as the Merlin 28, the design culminated in the Merlin 29, built between 1990 and 1993. With only 21 hulls produced before the model evolved into the Regatta 290, the Merlin 29 is a rare and highly soughtafter evolution of this innovative family cruiser.