Sabre 28 Ketch
Description
The Sabre 28 Ketch is an ultra-rare rig variant of the classic Sabre 28 series, produced by Sabre Yachts in Wiscasset, Maine, USA. This fractional-rigged ketch adaptation splits the mainsail area between a main and a small mizzen mast, offering improved balance, reduced weather helm, and easier sail handling for short-handed coastal cruising or light offshore work—ideal for beginners or downsizers seeking the Sabre 28's seaworthy hull with a more manageable sail plan. Sharing the same robust fiberglass construction, skeg-hung rudder, and teak interiors as the standard sloop, it maintains the model's reputation for stability (ballast/displacement ~38%) and forgiving performance in 15–25 knot winds, though the smaller sails slightly reduce light-air speed (PHRF estimated ~210–220, unrated officially in most regions). Only 9 hulls were factory-built as ketches across the Mk II (8 hulls) and Mk III (1 hull) series, making it one of Sabre's scarcest configurations—custom orders for those preferring ketch versatility over the sloop's power.
Construction Details
| Designer | Roger Hewson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Sabre Yachts (USA) |
| Length | 28.420 ft |
| LOA | 28.420 ft |
| LWL | 22.830 ft |
| Beam | 9.170 ft |
| Displacement | 7900 lb |
| Ballast | 3000 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.330 ft |
| Year Built | 1976 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 34 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13.50 ft |
| p | 28.58 ft |
| e | 10 ft |
| p2 | 19.33 ft |
| e2 | 6.50 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 ft | 13.50 ft | 28.58 ft | 10 ft | 19.33 ft | 6.50 ft | - | - |
Sails
Sabre 28 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 28.58 ft - (8711 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.82 ft - (9089 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.95 ° |
| Diagonal | * 29.94 ft - (9126 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | 142.73 ft² |
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Sabre 28 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 29.27 ft - (8921 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.65 ft - (5685 mm) |
| Leech | * 24.48 ft - (7462 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.53 ft - (4734 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 227.16 ft² |
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Sabre 28 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | * 34.75 ft - (10592 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.46 ft - (6846 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.19 ft - (9812 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.25 ft - (6172 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 351.77 ft² |
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Sabre 28 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 19.33 ft - (5892 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 6.5 ft - (1981 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 20.09 ft - (6123 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88.02 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 20.18 ft - (6151 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | 62.75 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.