Young 88 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Young 88 means looking at a New Zealand–born cruiser-racer that never saw mass production by a major yard, with 158 built and a class culture centered at home. These are custom-built boats from individual builders or owners, so condition and history vary widely and a clean example takes patience to locate.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 88 is a 29-foot fractional sloop with a dinghy-like open-transom hull and a wide 3.30 m beam that makes the cabin unusually spacious for the length. Below you'll find a galley, head, dinette, and storage around berths for up to six, while the cockpit comfortably hosts eight. Early Mark 1 decks came from the Inner Circle mould; later Mark 2 boats were re-tooled, so the two deck generations are the main production variation a buyer will meet. Interior fit can drift from Young's original plan depending on who finished the boat.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted, which matches the boat's downwind racing character. Beyond that, the used fleet shows owner-added gear rather than factory standard: an asymmetric spinnaker, a dodger, and dinghy davits appear as occasional upgrades, while a chartplotter and EPIRB show up as less common electronics and safety additions. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are downwind sail handling (spinnaker or asymmetric plus davits for the tender) and cockpit protection (dodger), with navigation and emergency comms left to individual choice rather than fleet norm.
What to Inspect
The fiberglass hull and deck are the first concern: the boat can suffer from osmosis, delamination or cracking in the fiberglass hull or deck and needs regular care to stay sound. Rigging, hardware, and onboard systems are the other watch points and should be checked for age and service history problems with the rigging, hardware or systems. Because the design has no watertight bulkhead, any history of collision or leak should be traced carefully, and the absence of a self-righting hull means structural and ballast integrity matter more than on a coastal boat with recovery provisions.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical markets are New Zealand and Australia, reflecting the class's domestic strength and early export activity. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm hull and deck are free of osmosis or delamination; verify rigging and systems are serviced; identify which deck generation (Mark 1 or Mark 2) you are looking at; check whether a spinnaker or asymmetric and a dodger are present; and budget for ongoing maintenance given the boat's documented upkeep demands.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Young 88. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 1 | $24,563 | — |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $19,650 | -20.0% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $24,543 | +24.9% |
| May 26 | 2 | $11,192 | -54.4% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $12,722 | +13.7% |
Where they're listed
Young 88 listings appear across 2 countries. New Zealand has the most listings with 5 (62.5%), followed by Australia.
Country view
8 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $13,997 | 5 | 0 | 62.5% |
| Australia | $24,563 | 3 | 0 | 37.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair 880 | 28.87' | $ 199,357 | 26 | 5 |
| Beneteau First 27.7 | 29.04' | $ 34,086 | 20 | 4 |
| Compromis 888 | 28.54' | $ 26,503 | 17 | 7 |
| J-Boats J/88 | 29.19' | $ 135,000 | 16 | 4 |
| Young 88You are here | — | $ 19,742 | 8 | 0 |