Ajax 23
Description
The Ajax 23 is a classic British fiberglass one-design keelboat designed by Oliver Lee in 1966 and built by Halmatic Ltd. in Havant, Hampshire, England, starting in 1967. Conceived as a lively coastal racer with blue water potential, it combines the agility of a dinghy with the stability of a small cruiser, making it ideal for club racing, short-handed coastal sailing, or family day trips. With its narrow hull, long keel, and masthead sloop rig, the Ajax 23 is known for its responsive handling and excellent heavy-weather performance—capable of Channel crossings double-handed. Approximately 60 were produced, with active fleets in the UK (e.g., River Orwell at Woolverstone, River Fal at St Mawes) and scattered examples in Australia, Ireland, and beyond. It's similar to Lee's later Squib (smaller, more numerous) and influenced the Achilles 24. The Ajax Class Association (founded 1968) organizes nationals alternating between Royal Harwich YC and St Mawes SC, with strong participation in events like Falmouth Week.
Construction Details
| Designer | Oliver Lee |
|---|---|
| Builder | Halmatic Ltd. |
| LOA | 23.250 ft |
| LWL | 19.167 ft |
| Beam | 6.500 ft |
| Displacement | 1900 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.670 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 19.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 7.67 ft |
| p | 22 ft |
| e | 10.25 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.50 ft | 7.67 ft | 22 ft | 10.25 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.25 ft - (3124 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.72 ft - (7230 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 23.94 ft - (7297 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 116.3 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 16.76 ft - (5108 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.57 ft - (3222 mm) |
| Leech | * 14.05 ft - (4282 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.99 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.82 ft - (2688 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.96 ° |
| Area | * 73.92 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 19.91 ft - (6069 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.74 ft - (3883 mm) |
| Leech | * 18.45 ft - (5624 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.93 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 114.48 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 19.91 ft - (6069 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 13.81 ft - (4209 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.81 ft - (4209 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 234 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.