Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig
Description
The Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig is a variant of the classic American cruiser-racer Bristol 29.9, built by Bristol Yachts (Rhode Island, USA) from 1977 to 1986/1987, with around 216 units produced overall. Designed by Halsey Herreshoff (grandson of the legendary Nathanael Herreshoff), it's a departure from earlier full-keel Bristols toward a more modern fin keel with skeg-hung rudder setup. The Tall Rig option features a taller mast for increased sail area and better light-air performance, making it popular among owners in regions with variable or lighter winds (e.g., Northeast US, Great Lakes). It's a solid, well-built fiberglass boat suited for coastal cruising, occasional offshore passages, club racing, or extended weekends — known for good balance, comfort, and durability.
Construction Details
| Designer | Halsey Herreshoff |
|---|---|
| Builder | Bristol Yachts |
| Length | 29.920 ft |
| LOA | 29.920 ft |
| LWL | 24.000 ft |
| Beam | 10.170 ft |
| Displacement | 8650 lb |
| Ballast | 3600 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.330 ft |
| Year Built | 1977 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 40 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.25 ft |
| p | 34.50 ft |
| e | 11.25 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 ft | 11.25 ft | 34.50 ft | 11.25 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 34.5 ft - (10516 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.25 ft - (3429 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.55 ft - (10836 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 35.91 ft - (10945 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 198.38 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 33.24 ft - (10132 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.62 ft - (4456 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.43 ft - (8970 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.94 ft - (3944 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.04 ° |
| Area | * 215.04 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - GENOA
| Luff | 39.47 ft - (12030 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.93 ft - (5465 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.44 ft - (11412 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.88 ft - (5145 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.01 ° |
| Area | * 333.09 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 39.47 ft - (12030 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.56 ft - (5657 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.31 ft - (11067 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 549 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 39.47 ft - (12030 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.25 ft - (6172 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.25 ft - (6172 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 679 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Bristol 29.9 Tall Rig - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 22.85 ft - (6965 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.21 ft - (2502 mm) |
| Leech | * 19.39 ft - (5910 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.75 ft - (2057 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.98 ° |
| Area | * 77.12 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
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.