American 23
Description
The American 23 sailboat is a classic fiberglass trailerable cruiser-racer produced under the North American Yachts brand (a division of the powerboat manufacturer Glastron) in the mid-1970s. Designed as a versatile pocket cruiser, it's suitable for day sailing, weekend overnights, or club racing on inland lakes, bays, or coastal waters. At approximately 23 feet in length, this monohull features a masthead sloop rig, options for centerboard or fixed keel, and a compact cabin that sleeps 4, emphasizing ease of handling for small crews or solo sailors. Owners value its sturdy construction, responsive performance, and trailering convenience, though it's known for moderate speed rather than high-performance racing. The model was renamed the Spirit 23 after Glastron sold off the North American division in 1978, continuing production until 1981. It's distinct from smaller American Fiberglass models (like the 12 or 16) and unrelated to the modern American Sail Inc. daysailers or other "American" branded boats like the AMI 23.
Construction Details
| Designer | Arthur S. Henry |
|---|---|
| Length | 23.000 ft |
| LOA | 23.000 ft |
| LWL | 21.000 ft |
| Beam | 7.980 ft |
| Displacement | 2800 lb |
| Max Draft | 2.330 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 23.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.25 ft |
| p | 23 ft |
| e | 8 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.50 ft | 10.25 ft | 23 ft | 8 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 23 ft - (7010 mm) |
| Foot | * 8 ft - (2438 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.86 ft - (7273 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.03 ° |
| Diagonal | * 24.09 ft - (7343 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area | * 94.1 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Foot | 12.75 ft - (3886 mm) |
| Leech | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 100.68 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.32 ft - (3146 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.41 ° |
| Area | * 108.34 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 20.51 ft - (6251 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.49 ft - (4417 mm) |
| Leech | * 16.88 ft - (5145 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 120.88 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 24.36 ft - (7425 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.35 ft - (5288 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.43 ft - (6837 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.05 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.38 ft - (4688 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.01 ° |
| Area | * 187.31 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 24.36 ft - (7425 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.91 ft - (5154 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.41 ft - (6831 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 309 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.