Review of Helmsman 23

The interior is like most other boats made of teak.
The boat is equipped with 4,5 berths and a galley.

The boat equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

The Helmsman 23 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated. As the surface of a fin type keel is just a fraction of the total wet surface, the difference between an iron keel and a lead keel can in reality be ignored for cruising yachts.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.46 - 1.56 meter (4.79 - 5.09 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

An outboard motor is often used on this boat. In that case Helmsman 23 will typically require a power of 3 - 4 hp, alternatively 72 - 87 lbs thrust if you prefer an electrical motor. Electric outboards are becoming popular for sailboat owners who want clean instant power with less noise and no exhaust fumes.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Helmsman 23 is 2.24, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Helmsman 23 is about 122 kg/cm, alternatively 688 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 122 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 688 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Helmsman 23 is 2.67.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is more spacy than 76% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a significantly more spacy hull design.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Helmsman 23 is 37%.

This ballast ratio shows a righting moment that is higher than 42% of all similar sailboat designs. A righting moment (ability to resist heeling) just below average.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for Helmsman 23 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 14.2, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 16.7.

The SA/D ratio indicates that it is faster than 24% of all similar sailboat designs in light wind.

The Helmsman 23 has more rig than 34% of all similar sailboats, which indicates that the boat is slightly underrigged.

What is Relative Speed Performance?

The Relative Speed Performance for Helmsman 23 is 42

The relative speed performance is 42 which means that a it is faster than 42% of all similar sailboat designs.

Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

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If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.