Esse 850
Description
The Esse 850 is a high-performance, trailerable daysailer designed by Chris Hammond of Design Science and produced by Esse Marine (based in Estonia) from 2005 to around 2010. This 28 ft (8.5 m) sloop is celebrated for its carbon fiber construction, planing capabilities, and speed in light to medium winds, making it a favorite among European club racers and solo sailors. With only ~150 hulls built, it's a niche but enduring design—often compared to a "grown-up Laser" for its responsive handling and low weight. The Esse 850 excels in one-design racing (e.g., European championships) and casual cruising, with a Portsmouth Yardstick of ~950 for handicap fleets. Esse Marine specialized in lightweight, high-tech dinghies and daysailers, blending Baltic craftsmanship with modern composites. The 850 was their flagship, emphasizing minimalist luxury and short-handed ease.
Construction Details
| Designer | Chris Hammond |
|---|---|
| Builder | Esse Marine |
| Length | 27.800 ft |
| LOA | 27.890 ft |
| LWL | 26.180 ft |
| Beam | 7.220 ft |
| Displacement | 2778 lb |
| Ballast | 1543 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.560 ft |
| Year Built | 2004 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 33.42 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10 ft |
| p | 34.40 ft |
| e | 11.98 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.42 ft | 10 ft | 34.40 ft | 11.98 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Esse 850 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 34.4 ft - (10485 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.98 ft - (3652 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.91 ft - (10945 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 36.03 ft - (10982 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 212.302 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Esse 850 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 27.9 ft - (8504 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.11 ft - (3996 mm) |
| Leech | * 24.48 ft - (7462 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 160.46 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Esse 850 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 33.14 ft - (10101 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.5 ft - (5029 mm) |
| Leech | * 30.49 ft - (9293 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 410.11 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.