Express 27
Description
The Express 27 is a high-performance racer/cruiser sailboat designed by Carl Schumacher (a renowned West Coast naval architect known for fast, balanced designs like the Alerion Express series). It was built by Alsberg Brothers Boatworks (USA) starting in 1982, with about 116 hulls produced through the mid-1980s. This lightweight "sportboat" gained fame in San Francisco Bay fleets for its speed, responsiveness, and one-design racing class (still active today via express27.org)—often PHRF-rated around 129–144, making it a "PHRF killer" in club events. It's fractional-rigged for excellent upwind bite and planing downwind (hitting 15+ knots with a symmetric spinnaker), with a fin keel/spade rudder for quick maneuvers. While primarily a racer, it has basic accommodations (V-berth, settees, small galley/head) for weekend overnights or coastal hops—trailerable with the keel up.
Construction Details
| Designer | Carl Schumacher |
|---|---|
| Builder | Alsberg Brothers Yachts |
| Length | 27.000 ft |
| LOA | 27.250 ft |
| LWL | 23.750 ft |
| Beam | 8.000 ft |
| Displacement | 2450 lb |
| Ballast | 1100 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1982 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 28.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9 ft |
| p | 28.50 ft |
| e | 10.40 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.50 ft | 9 ft | 28.50 ft | 10.40 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Express 27 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 28.5 ft - (8687 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.4 ft - (3170 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.79 ft - (9080 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 152.75 ft² |
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Express 27 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.67 ft - (3252 mm) |
| Leech | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.11 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.91 ft - (3021 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.27 ° |
| Area | * 138.7 ft² |
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Express 27 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 23.91 ft - (7288 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.89 ft - (3624 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.81 ft - (6343 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.35 ft - (3155 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 123.71 ft² |
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Express 27 - GENOA
| Luff | 28.42 ft - (8662 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.167 ft - (4013 mm) |
| Leech | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 133.56 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.02 ft - (3664 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6.53 ° |
| Area | * 170.85 ft² |
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Express 27 - GENOA
| Luff | * 28.39 ft - (8653 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.51 ft - (4423 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.73 ft - (8147 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 191.63 ft² |
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Express 27 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Leech | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 352 ft² |
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Express 27 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Foot | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 357 ft² |
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Express 27 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 28.39 ft - (8653 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 391 ft² |
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Express 27 - STORMJIB
| Luff | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7 ft - (2134 mm) |
| Leech | 12.25 ft - (3734 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 59.67 % |
| Length Perp | * 5.37 ft - (1637 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 22.37 ° |
| Area | * 41.62 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.
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