Design and Construction
The Tiger's hull is solid fiberglass with a spade rudder and fin keel carrying 2,240 pounds of iron ballast — a 42 percent ballast ratio that reviews note is higher than 62 percent of comparable designs anchor. That density, paired with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.79, places her among the beamier quarter-tonners: her l/b figure suggests she is roomier below than 76 percent of similar sailboats. The displacement-length ratio of 237 classifies her among "moderate racers" rather than heavy cruisers, and the 19.9 Motion Comfort Ratio is reported as more comfortable than 62 percent of similar designs. With a capsize screening value of 2.04, she would not qualify for ocean racing under that metric, a limitation worth weighing against her evident coastal purpose.
Rig and Handling
She is a masthead sloop carrying 318 square feet of sail and a 10-horsepower Volvo Penta M6 diesel as documented in the source review anchor. The theoretical hull speed is 6.3 knots with a calculated engine maximum near 4.7 knots. Standing rigging and sheet geometry are well defined: jib and genoa sheets run about 25 feet at 3/8 inch diameter, the mainsheet 62.7 feet, and spinnaker sheets 55 feet, all 10 mm anchor. The wetted surface of roughly 226 square feet and an immersion rate of 683 pounds per inch speak to a light, responsive hull that loads draft between 4.86 and 5.16 feet depending on burden.
Accommodations
Below, the Tiger is laid out with two cabins and six berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. Headroom is near average for the class. The beamy proportions that favor her space rating translate into a usable interior for a 25-footer, though the accommodations remain those of a compact cruiser-racer rather than a voluminous coastal trawler.
The Verdict
The Westerly Tiger 25 is a focused small performance cruiser from the late-1960s British fiberglass wave. Her high ballast ratio, beamy plan, and documented rig dimensions make her a coherent coastal sailor, while the capsize screen and modest relative speed performance (faster than only 7 percent of similar designs) mark her as a club-and-cruising boat rather than a serious offshore contender.
Pros
- High 42% ballast ratio, above 62% of peers
- Beamy layout rated roomier than 76% of similar designs
- Solid fiberglass hull with defined rigging specs
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes ocean racing
- Relative speed performance faster than only 7% of similar designs
- Compact 25-foot accommodations with near-average headroom
