Rhodes 27
Description
The Rhodes 27 (also known as the Rhodes 27 Class or Philip Rhodes 27) is a highly regarded classic wooden racing/cruising sloop designed by Philip L. Rhodes (his design #447) in 1938–1939. It emerged as the winner of a design competition sponsored by the Fishers Island Yacht Club (New York/Connecticut area) to create an attractive, competitive one-design class for members—balancing performance under sail with comfortable weekend cruising capabilities. The design proved successful: over 40 hulls were built (primarily in the late 1930s through the 1950s), mostly by top yards like Henry B. Nevins (City Island, NY) and others. It's celebrated for Rhodes' masterful lines—slim, elegant, and fast—with a narrow beam for low wetted surface, good upwind ability, and a seakindly motion. Many consider it one of Rhodes' finest pre-WWII designs, with timeless beauty and excellent handling that still turns heads at classic yacht events.
Construction Details
| Designer | Philip L. Rhodes |
|---|---|
| Builder | Henry B. Nevins (City Island, NY) |
| Length | 39.160 ft |
| LOA | 39.160 ft |
| LWL | 27.000 ft |
| Beam | 9.670 ft |
| Displacement | 25000 lb |
| Ballast | 11000 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1938 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 40.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14 ft |
| p | 43.75 ft |
| e | 19.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.50 ft | 14 ft | 43.75 ft | 19.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Rhodes 27 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.75 ft - (13335 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.07 ft - (14347 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 47.27 ft - (14408 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 426.11 ft² |
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Rhodes 27 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 34.28 ft - (10449 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.8 ft - (5730 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.38 ft - (8955 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.1 ft - (4907 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 275.98 ft² |
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Rhodes 27 - GENOA
| Luff | * 40.71 ft - (12408 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.83 ft - (6959 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.08 ft - (11607 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 427.54 ft² |
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Rhodes 27 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 40.71 ft - (12408 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 25.2 ft - (7681 mm) |
| Foot | * 25.2 ft - (7681 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 872.01 ft² |
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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.