Westerly Regatta 290 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Westerly Regatta 290 means chasing one of the scarcest Westerly cruisers afloat: only eleven were built between 1993 and 1997, and the boat is a 29-foot sloop designed by Ed Dubois with interiors by Ken Freivokh for the Regatta range. As a sister to the Merlin 29 and a development of the Merlin 28, it is a small-series 1990s British cruiser rather than a mass-produced line, so any purchase is as much a matter of locating a surviving example as of evaluating condition.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Regatta 290 is documented with an aft cockpit, a length overall of 29 feet, a waterline of 23 feet 7 inches, and a beam of 9 feet 11 inches. Below, the fixed layout is seven berths and one head — a high berth count for the length, and one that does not vary by advertised example since the source records no alternative interior plans. The boat was offered with a fin keel drawing 5 feet or twin keels drawing 3 feet 4 inches; on the used market these two keel configurations are the principal structural variant you will encounter, with the twin-keel version the more pragmatic for thin water.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Electric winches, autopilot, and chartplotter are commonly fitted on Regatta 290s offered for sale, reflecting modern cruising expectations rather than original 1993 specification. Beyond those three, the source material does not describe often-seen or occasional owner upgrades, so any other gear should be assessed as a per-boat addition rather than a market norm. The rig itself is a masthead sloop with a 208-square-foot mainsail, a 236-square-foot No. 1 genoa, and a 129-square-foot No. 1 jib under the sail identifier R290.
What to Inspect
The documentary record for the Regatta 290 lists no quantified defects, no drainage or flooding paths, and no measured wear tolerances, so there are no source-backed known issues to screen for by measurement. A buyer should still treat the eleven-unit production and the builder's Lloyd's Register certification standard for GRP hulls as context, and confirm keel attachment for the chosen fin or twin configuration, since the source records both as factory options without flagging a preferred structural detail.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for the Regatta 290 is the United Kingdom, consistent with its Westerly origins and short build run. Because so few were made, patience and a UK-focused search are the practical realities.
- Confirm whether the example is fin or twin keel, and that attachment matches the configuration
- Verify the seven-berth, one-head layout is intact
- Check that commonly fitted electric winches, autopilot, and chartplotter are operational
- Expect limited spares continuity given the builder's post-1997 restructuring
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Westerly Regatta 290. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $ 30,293 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 24,908 | -17.8% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $ 26,254 | +5.4% |
Where they're listed
Westerly Regatta 290 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 4.
Country view
4 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $ 26,254 | 4 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadler 29 | 28.42' | $ 17,435 | 63 | 11 |
| Hallbery Rassy 29 | 29.2' | $ 43,540 | 56 | 16 |
| Catalina 309 | 32.75' | $ 74,900 | 43 | 12 |
| Delphia 29 | 28.2' | $ 38,907 | 9 | 2 |
| Westerly Regatta 290You are here | — | $ 26,254 | 4 | 2 |