Merit 23 Sprint Retractable Keel
Description
The Merit 23 is a lightweight, trailerable fiberglass sailboat designed by Paul Yates and built by Merit Marine Inc. from 1984 to 1988, with approximately 100–200 units produced. Featuring a fin keel (standard) or centerboard (Sprint CB variant), spade rudder, raked stem, and reverse transom, it’s optimized for club racing and coastal day sailing, with modest accommodations for weekend overnights. Powered by an outboard auxiliary (typically 4–9.9 hp in a well), with tiller steering, it offers agile handling and good stability for its size. The Sprint CB version enhances trailering with shallow draft, while the standard model prioritizes performance in moderate winds.
Construction Details
| Designer | Paul M. Yates |
|---|---|
| Builder | Merit Marine Inc. |
| Length | 23.000 ft |
| LOA | 30.170 ft |
| LWL | 22.000 ft |
| Beam | 9.500 ft |
| Max Draft | 4.750 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 28 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 8.50 ft |
| p | 23 ft |
| e | 9.60 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 ft | 8.50 ft | 23 ft | 9.60 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 23 ft - (7010 mm) |
| Foot | * 9.6 ft - (2926 mm) |
| Leech | * 24.4 ft - (7437 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 24.61 ft - (7501 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 114.14 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 23.41 ft - (7135 mm) |
| Foot | * 11.17 ft - (3405 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.5 ft - (6248 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.06 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.78 ft - (2981 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 114.49 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 27.8 ft - (8473 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.65 ft - (4161 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.23 ft - (7995 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.75 ft - (3886 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.05 ° |
| Area | * 177.21 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 26.75 ft - (8153 mm) |
| Foot | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Leech | 24.83 ft - (7568 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 120 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.2 ft - (3109 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.07 ° |
| Area | * 136.45 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 27.8 ft - (8473 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.02 ft - (4273 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.58 ft - (7797 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 292 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.