Sovereign 23
The Sovereign 23 and Sovereign 24 are a family of American trailerable sailboats that was designed by Arthur Edmunds as cruisers and first built in 1981.[1][2][3]
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Sovereign Design Group |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1981 |
| Builder(s) | Sovereign Yachts |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Sovereign 23 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,250 lb (1,474 kg) |
| Draft | 2.33 ft (0.71 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 23.00 ft (7.01 m) |
| LWL | 18.50 ft (5.64 m) |
| Beam | 8.00 ft (2.44 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel |
| Ballast | 1,350 lb (612 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 28.42 ft (8.66 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 10.20 ft (3.11 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 23.00 ft (7.01 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 8.50 ft (2.59 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | masthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 97.75 sq ft (9.081 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 144.94 sq ft (13.465 m2) |
| Total sail area | 242.69 sq ft (22.547 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 252 |
The boat was also sold as the Sovereign 23 Adventure and a simplified, budget version with a different deck was sold as the Sovereign Antares 24.[1]
The Sovereign 23 and 24 are developments of Edmunds' S2 7.0, using the same hull mold, as are the Sovereign 7.0 and the Sovereign Princess 24.[1][2][3]
Production
The designs were built by Sovereign Yachts in the United States, from 1981 until 1996, but it is now out of production.[1][2][3][4]
Design
The Sovereign 23 and 24 are recreational keelboats, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. They have masthead sloop rigs, raked stems, plumb transoms, transom-hung rudders controlled by tillers and a fixed fin keel or shoal draft keel. They displace 3,250 lb (1,474 kg) and carry 1,350 lb (612 kg) of ballast. The Sovereign 24 differs in having a 12 in (30 cm) bowsprit added.[1][2][3]
The boats have a draft of 3.67 ft (1.12 m) with the standard keel and 2.33 ft (0.71 m) with the optional shoal draft keel.[1][2][3]
The boats are normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1][3]
The design two different factory interior layouts. Interior A has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two a straight settee berths in the main cabin. The galley is located on both sides of the companionway ladder, with a two-burner stove to starboard and a sink to port. The head is located on the port side beside the galley and has a privacy door.[1][2][3]
Interior B also has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The galley is located on both sides of the companionway ladder, with a two-burner stove to starboard and a sink to port. The head is located in the bow cabin on the port side.[1][2][3]
In both layouts the cabin headroom is 67 in (170 cm).[3]
For sailing the design may be equipped with a jib or one of a series of larger genoas[3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 252 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h).[3]
Operational history
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Here's one of those boats that started life as a 23-footer, and a year or two later, without changing the hull, the marketers deemed that the boat had become a 24-footer, belatedly deciding to add the bowsprit as part of the length (which, of course, is not usual industry practice) ... Best features: Headroom and cabin space are very good for a 23-footer. Worst features: The statistics and specifications given in various Sovereign brochures are so inconsistent that we can't help but wonder about the accuracy of the company's claimed specifications. Be cautious before buying."[3]
See also
References
- McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Sovereign 23 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Sovereign 24 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 256-257. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
- McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Sovereign Yachts (Custom Fiberglass Products) 1978-1998". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.