The Sabre 28 is a series of American sailboats, designed by Roger Hewson and first built in 1971.[1][2]

Sabre 28-1
Development
DesignerRoger Hewson
LocationUnited States
Year1971
No. built199
Builder(s)Sabre Yachts
NameSabre 28-1
Boat
Displacement7,400 lb (3,357 kg)
Draft4.33 ft (1.32 m)
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA28.00 ft (8.53 m)
LWL22.83 ft (6.96 m)
Beam9.17 ft (2.80 m)
Engine typeUniversal Atomic 4 30 hp (22 kW) gasoline engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board typeswept fin keel
Ballast2,900 lb (1,315 kg)
Rudder(s)sskeg-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I foretriangle height36.20 ft (11.03 m)
J foretriangle base11.80 ft (3.60 m)
P mainsail luff30.90 ft (9.42 m)
E mainsail foot11.60 ft (3.54 m)
Sails
SailplanMasthead sloop
Mainsail area179.22 sq ft (16.650 m2)
Jib/genoa area213.58 sq ft (19.842 m2)
Total sail area392.80 sq ft (36.492 m2)

Production

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The boat was built in three versions by Sabre Yachts in the United States between 1971 and 1986, with a total of 588 built.[1][2][3]

Design

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Sabre 28, transom view
 
Sabre 28 being launched on a crane hoist, showing the keel and rudder arrangement
 
Sabre 28, bow view
 
Sabre 28, flying its spinnaker

The Sabre 28 was the first design for the newly-formed company. Its design goal was to build the finest 28-foot sailing yacht available, using the state of the art materials and techniques available at the time and construct the boat on a modern assembly line basis, to realize good economy and production quality.[3]

The Sabre 28 is a small recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with extensive teak wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, vertical transom, skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a ship's wheel and a swept fixed fin keel.[1][4]

The accommodations include a double "V" berth in the forward cabin, single and double bunks in the main cabin, and a quarter berth. The forward cabin has a door for privacy. The head includes a hanging locker and a dorade vent. The main cabin has a folding table that stows against a bulkhead. The galley features a recessed stove.[4]

The cockpit is over 7 ft (2.1 m) in length. The foredeck mounts an anchor locker. Other features include a foredeck hatch, four opening and four fixed ports, internal halyards for both the mainsail and the genoa, raised by a mast-mounted winch. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the cabin roof and genoa tracks are provided. The genoa is controlled with dual two-speed winches, mounted on the cockpit coaming.[4]

All models have hull speeds of 6.4 kn (11.85 km/h).[5]

Variants

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Sabre 28-1 (serial numbers 1-211)
This model was introduced in 1971 and produced until 1976, with 199 built. Eight were built with ketch rigs. It has a length overall of 28.00 ft (8.5 m), a waterline length of 22.83 ft (7.0 m), displaces 7,400 lb (3,357 kg) and carries 2,900 lb (1,315 kg) of ballast. The boat has a draft of 4.33 ft (1.32 m) with the standard keel and 3.8 ft (1.2 m) with the optional shoal draft keel. Universal Atomic 4 30 hp (22 kW) gasoline engine. The fuel tank holds 20 U.S. gallons (76 L; 17 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 30 U.S. gallons (110 L; 25 imp gal). The shoal draft version has a PHRF racing average handicap of 201 with a high of 210 and low of 195.[1][5][6]
Sabre 28-2 (serial numbers 212-539)
This model was introduced in 1976 and produced until 1982, with 320 built. It has a length overall of 28.42 ft (8.7 m), a waterline length of 22.83 ft (7.0 m) and displaces 7,900 lb (3,583 kg). The boat has a draft of 4.30 ft (1.31 m) with the standard keel fitted. The boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 201 with a high of 205 and low of 198. It has a hull speed of 6.4 kn (11.85 km/h).[7][8]
Sabre 28-3 (serial numbers 540-588)
This model was introduced in 1983 and produced until 1986. It has a length overall of 28.42 ft (8.7 m), a waterline length of 22.83 ft (7.0 m) and displaces 7,900 lb (3,583 kg). The boat has a draft of 4.67 ft (1.42 m) with the standard keel fitted. The boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 186 with a high of 189 and low of 183. It has a hull speed of 6.4 kn (11.85 km/h).[9][10]

American Sailboat Hall of Fame

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The Sabre 28 was inducted into the now-defunct Sail America American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 2003. In honoring the design, the hall cited, "If Roger Hewson and his associates at Sabre Yachts hadn’t hit a sweet spot with the 28 – bringing the look and feel of a yacht into the pocket-cruiser size range – they wouldn’t have had a 15-year production run, nor gone on to build close to 2000 larger sail and power boats. Perhaps the truest testimony to their success in crafting a boat of lasting quality is the price a 28 fetches on the used boat market today. Depending on maintenance and updates, prices can range from $15,000 to $30,000. As Hornor writes, “The Sabre 28 is rather high priced for its size and accommodations. However, the boat has proven to be a good investment due to its ability to attract buyers willing to pay a little more”"[11]

See also

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Similar sailboats

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Browning, Randy (2018). "Sabre 28-1 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b Browning, Randy (2018). "Roger Hewson". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b Browning, Randy (2018). "Sabre Yachts". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 198-199. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
  5. ^ a b InterVisionSoft LLC (2018). "Sailboat Specifications for Sabre 28-1". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  6. ^ InterVisionSoft LLC (2018). "Sailboat Specifications for Sabre 28-1 SD". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  7. ^ Browning, Randy (2018). "Sabre 28-2 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  8. ^ InterVisionSoft LLC (2018). "Sailboat Specifications for Sabre 28-2". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  9. ^ Browning, Randy (2018). "Sabre 28-3 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  10. ^ InterVisionSoft LLC (2018). "Sailboat Specifications for Sabre 28-3". Sailing Joy. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  11. ^ Sail America. "Sabre 28". www.sailamerica.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
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