I am after ideas for a light weight trailer sailer for 2 adults and 2 big kids that I can tow to the Whitsundays behind a 4 cylinder Hyundai Imax without damaging it. Basic camp style accomodation is all we need. Max. trailable weight is 1900kg but I'd like it to be a fair bit lighter than this for towing. Slow boats are not my thing and I want a boat I can be passionate about (no offence ment to cruisers - each to their own) so are leaning towards racing boats that are no longer competitive. Light weight foam sandwich boats like Elliot 780 and Masrm 720 have my interest so far but any other suggestions would be appreciated. Maybe it is not a practical idea? Budget around $20000. Thanks, Steve

Big difference between an Elliott 780 and a Masrm 720!

Tow weight for an Elliott 780 is about 1200 -1500 kg and that is about as light weight as what you will find. Other potentials (and cheaper) would be an Elliott 7 and a Young 780 (maker sure you look at the modern ones not the old water ballasted ones).

I cannot speak highly enough of the Elliott 780. I used to own one of the best "Gone Troppo" which was renamed Troppo. This was one of the cruiser versions of the E780 and as good as you will find for a cruising sportsboat. Having said that, I would probably think long and hard about how you will use any of these kinds of boats. You want a fast boat to cruise. These two things are not really compatible. You have a drop keel with 350 kg bulb on the bottom, not a swing keel. This means you cannot beach the boat, which means a dinghy to get to shore and good anchoring. You also have drop or fixed rudder, again hard to get in close to shore but you can make a cassette type rudder but you start getting into dodgy territory when it gets loaded up.

They are also ultra light weight which means things break... often. Foam sandwich leaks and gets water logged. They are also hard to put the mast up. It would take 3 - 4 guys to lift the mast on the E780.

I would either re-evaluate how fast you want to go in a cruising boat versus the zero comfort factor and its always a trade off unless you really enjoy camping.

Others to consider are Ross 780 or Clubman 8 which are more cruiser orientated but heavier, while still being fast.

A compromise is Castle 650 or RL 24. Proven boats. Easy to rig and launch. I would have thought easy beaching would be important in the whitsundays.

Elliott 7.4 might be another compromise but again it wont dry out.

I'm looking at doing something similar - I've bought a Farr 727 (fixed keel) in a very run down condition and using a converted etchell trailer. I've started with a full keel up restoration.

You can still pick these Farr designed yachts on the west coast at a very reasonable price...

If you can find one a Windrush Wildfire 23 ft trailer sailer would be fairly perfect for your proposed trip. Very light weight, very simple and very fast.

https://www.boatlocator.com.au/item/australia/15-western-australia/89-boats-for-sale-94-sold/14775-windrush-23ft

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Maxi-20-What/?page=-2

www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au/trailer-sailer/library/cat_view/27-trailer-sailer-library/162-wildfire

wildfire.nodrama.com.au/

One in Cairns for $6,000. Bargain.

www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/parramatta-park/sail-boats/windrush-yacht-wildfire-half-cabin-tabasco/1098475617

Thanks for the reply's guys. Much appreciated.

dralyagmas - Thanks for pointing out the Elliot 780 shortcomings. It is very hard to beat their boat size for weight and they just excite me, so we will have a look at one on the weekend. Surely there is a mechanical way to stand mast without 4 blokes? I feel the Ross 780 is too big to tow 2000km with a 4 cylinder van.

Madmouse - Castle 650 and RL24 are sensible suggestions but I'm not there yet. I love the Elliot 7.4. It's a pity there is not more of them.

ecan - I love your crazy thinking ecan. I was also excited by a J24 on trailer kept on the hardstand for racing in Cairns.

cisco - I've brought my wife down a long way but that is just a bit too far. I see where your coming from though.

On the way to a full refit - this towed effortlessly @ 90km/hr

My tophat will be up there next year...why don't you hire her for a reasonable fee shes a bit slow. Top speed so far of 6.8knots but she'll be more comfy.

Ironically there is an elliott 780 for sale up whitsundays way..seems like an opportunity.

I love the elliott 780 too. There is one in our club that is gorgeous.

There is an elliott 7.4 for sale in port fairy vic for sale for $20k.

I'm trying to remember waaaay back, but when we sailed the first E 7.4 I thought it had a wing bulb and therefore couldn't really be beached, as noted.

What about the Ross 650? Bigger inside than the Castle and RL by a fair way, I think. The ones without the bulb are supposed to be tip trucks, but the early one we used to sail near seemed to be pretty damn good. I've never sailed one but always liked the ones I see.

Have you considered the Spider 24 and is it light enough? I'm not sure of the weight of the Sonata 6.7/740/740 Sports but the 740S I used to sail on (Scooter) felt solid but went well; rated a tick or two slower than the Spider 22 and won lots on that CBH. Not too big down below but probably also bigger than the Castle and RL and probably better at handling Whitsunday winds and chop.

I would also suggest a Windrush 23 fully fitted out for cockpit living, shade tent etc. The limitation on trailer sailors is the maximum towing width of the hull so even the longer boats are still cramped inside. I would suggest borrowing someones small fibreglass cruiser and spending a couple of nights onboard in hot and extreme humid conditions on Sydney harbour for example to see how you feel about sleeping below decks. Even the large cruisers that visit the Whitsundays spend most of their time on deck. Some on returning build catamarans for their next trip just for the extra on deck space.

The other alternative is to buy a trailer sailer already up there.

There are mechanical ways of lifting the mast but I never got around to it. Keeping the boat on a hard stand meant I didn't have to. However it limit the amount of cruising I did with only wifey and 2 kiddies. Carbon mast would help greatly here but adds 10k to the price tag.

What about a farrier tri ?

Thanks for bringing up the issue of outdoor living Cisco (open day boat) and Ramona (Windrush 23 cat). It seems like wise advice from some old salts. I love the Farrier trimaran but it's hard to get past the price. Thanks also Chris for your suggestions.

Aus l think you have hit on the eternal problem...a fast, light seaworthy, comfortable, easy to live with, easy to sail, robust, cheap, ts that dries out flat and can sleep four in comfort and requires little maintenance.

Thinking thinking.

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AUS126 said..
Thanks for bringing up the issue of outdoor living Cisco (open day boat) and Ramona (Windrush 23 cat). It seems like wise advice from some old salts. I love the Farrier trimaran but it's hard to get past the price. Thanks also Chris for your suggestions.

The Windrush Wildfire 23 is not a cat. It is mono hull and the only trailer sailer I know of that has a midships water tight bulkhead that should enable it to still float if either the fore or the aft section gets holed.

They have a cosy fore cabin with two single bunks and a roomy aft cabin that can be used as two singles or a double bunk. In between the cabins there is a huge cockpit which would be the envy of many 40 footers. With a boom tent it is perfect for cockpit camping in the tropics.

The centre board is a parallel dagger board through a slot in the forward end of the cockpit. It is about 10 kg buoyant and kept in place by a couple of rubber door wedges. If it hits the bottom it will usually just pop up. The slot through which it passes also acts as the cockpit drain.

The lead ballast is attached externally. When lightened for racing, off the wind with a spinnaker and the board up they will plane and 10 knots + is achievable.

They first hit the market about 1980 and were then way ahead of their time. Still are today.

The mast is rotating and easily raised or lowered single handed using the spinnaker pole, some tackle and one of the winches. Very easy to figure out.

Launching and retrieval is also a single handed operation without the need of an electric winch.

Very well worth your consideration.

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cisco said..

AUS126 said..
Thanks for bringing up the issue of outdoor living Cisco (open day boat) and Ramona (Windrush 23 cat). It seems like wise advice from some old salts. I love the Farrier trimaran but it's hard to get past the price. Thanks also Chris for your suggestions.

The Windrush Wildfire 23 is not a cat. !!!

AUS126, Cisco is invariably right and helpful, his third recommended site (you may have overlooked) is one of the most valuable free libraries of small yachts/trailer sailer reviews and brochures around!…should be the go to site for all enquiries which start: 'I'm thinking of buying a trailer sailer/keelboat can anybody tell me a little about the…' Thanks JC Marine…'you walk on water'!

Yes John Crawford Marine have been specialising in trailer sailers for as long as I can remember. Their online library is a tremendous source of information for just about any trailer yacht you want to name.

A mate of mine has a Elliott 7.8 which he races and it is fast downwind and a heap of fun with a full crew but is a bit limited as a cruiser

Regards Don

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cisco said..

AUS126 said..
Thanks for bringing up the issue of outdoor living Cisco (open day boat) and Ramona (Windrush 23 cat). It seems like wise advice from some old salts. I love the Farrier trimaran but it's hard to get past the price. Thanks also Chris for your suggestions.

The Windrush Wildfire 23 is not a cat. It is mono hull and the only trailer sailer I know of that has a midships water tight bulkhead that should enable it to still float if either the fore or the aft section gets holed.

They have a cosy fore cabin with two single bunks and a roomy aft cabin that can be used as two singles or a double bunk. In between the cabins there is a huge cockpit which would be the envy of many 40 footers. With a boom tent it is perfect for cockpit camping in the tropics.

The centre board is a parallel dagger board through a slot in the forward end of the cockpit. It is about 10 kg buoyant and kept in place by a couple of rubber door wedges. If it hits the bottom it will usually just pop up. The slot through which it passes also acts as the cockpit drain.

The lead ballast is attached externally. When lightened for racing, off the wind with a spinnaker and the board up they will plane and 10 knots + is achievable.

They first hit the market about 1980 and were then way ahead of their time. Still are today.

The mast is rotating and easily raised or lowered single handed using the spinnaker pole, some tackle and one of the winches. Very easy to figure out.

Launching and retrieval is also a single handed operation without the need of an electric winch.

Very well worth your consideration.

Only one problem Cisco, they are pretty rare, especially on the East Coast.

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Donk107 said..
A mate of mine has a Elliott 7.8 which he races and it is fast downwind and a heap of fun with a full crew but is a bit limited as a cruiser

Regards Don

Yeh!! The family will not appreciate the fun in that scenario.

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Yara said..


Only one problem Cisco, they are pretty rare, especially on the East Coast.

They are rare. I think there were only about 58 built and about 15 of them were sold on the east coast.

Further, they are such a good yacht that those who have them tend not to sell them.

Thanks for spoon feeding me with the link to the John Crawford trailer sailer library - I did miss it first time around.. I have inquired about Wildfire 23 but no reply yet. One good thing about the production racing boats is that there is plenty to choose from once the racing fad is over. That photo brought a smile to my face. I showed my wife but she is still keen to have a look at one tomorrow so all good.

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cisco said..

Yara said..


Only one problem Cisco, they are pretty rare, especially on the East Coast.

They are rare. I think there were only about 58 built and about 15 of them were sold on the east coast.

Further, they are such a good yacht that those who have them tend not to sell them.

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cisco said..

Donk107 said..
A mate of mine has a Elliott 7.8 which he races and it is fast downwind and a heap of fun with a full crew but is a bit limited as a cruiser

Regards Don

Yeh!! The family will not appreciate the fun in that scenario.

Classic Saturday afternoon good times!
Rudder out of the water, kite in it, a few choice words.....
Is Skip smiling, kind of looks like he is, he would be later over a beer or 2!

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shoodbegood said..


Classic Saturday afternoon good times!
Rudder out of the water, kite in it, a few choice words.....
Is Skip smiling, kind of looks like he is, he would be later over a beer or 2!

The Skip is cool, calm and collected with his hand on the helm waiting for the crew to get their act together.

I was crewing on an RL 28 in a race out of Bowen in a similar situation years ago. The Skip was just like the Skip in the pic.

This is a few moments before and it actually went over far enough to put the spreader tips in the water

As much as I appreciate this type of boat it is pretty limited for anything other than racing in smooth water with moderate winds

We keep telling my mate that he need to get a proper boat with windows you can see out of as his are just painted on

Regards Don

Photo with the dacron sail (S80 fit perfectly) is in cruise mode with 2 kids under 5 on board. It can be done and quite comfortably for a trailer sailer. I would have kept her if it wasn't for living in South Australia which is not made for cruising small boats, unless you live in Port Lincoln.

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AUS126 said..
I am after ideas for a light weight trailer sailer for 2 adults and 2 big kids that I can tow to the Whitsundays behind a 4 cylinder Hyundai Imax without damaging it. Basic camp style accomodation is all we need. Max. trailable weight is 1900kg but I'd like it to be a fair bit lighter than this for towing. Slow boats are not my thing and I want a boat I can be passionate about (no offence ment to cruisers - each to their own) so are leaning towards racing boats that are no longer competitive. Light weight foam sandwich boats like Elliot 780 and Masrm 720 have my interest so far but any other suggestions would be appreciated. Maybe it is not a practical idea? Budget around $20000. Thanks, Steve

Looking forward to the pics of that

I will post some photos if it all pans out. It doesn't look like they will be of an Elliot 780 though - not a bad cockpit area but limited deck area because cabin and fore deck are so curved. Personal outdoor area is key for us especially when inside doesn't have standing headroom.

Above your budget but what about this Spider 28 http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/adelaide-cbd/sail-boats/yacht-trailer-sailor-spider-28-best-u-will-ever-c-new-inboard/1110191258

Who knows how desperate they might be to sell

This particular boat was for sale in Tassie a couple of years ago and is now in South Australia

Regards Don

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but stumbled across it while browsing trailer-sailers... Pardon the pun, but I'm in a similar boat to Aus126. I have plenty of sailing experience, and never lacking boats to crew, and my family has a cruiser that I race around the cans mid week... But I love lighter faster boats, and have raced among others an Elliott 780, Mumm 30, Young 88, and RL24... all great boats, but all a compromise (aren't all boats?)

I'm not in a rush to buy, but have been eyeing the market for some time.

Young 88s are a good balance between cruiser and racer, and solid enough for coastal cruising - they'd be my pick if I could justify owning one. However realistically I can sail other people's boats when I want to race offshore without paying the bills - also my lovely wife isn't keen on spending extended time afloat.

Trailer sailers make a lot of sense as far as maintenance and marina costs go. I've had great times sailing both the RL24 and Elliott 780, but neither are much fun upwind in anything more than a moderate sea breeze (down wind is another matter!).

We raced against an Elliott 7.4 in a multi- day regatta in fresh to strong breezes aboard an Elliott 780, and were amazed how well the 'little' 7.4 went in the stronger breezes, up-wind and down - and short handed. Fair to say it left a lasting impression!

The only problem I can see has been noted above, and that is the bulb keel and drying out. Would drying out cause structural problems with the boat resting on the keel? Its not a scenario that'd frequently occur, but having a shallow draft it may be tempting to get a little close to the beach when cruising...

Do people with more experience than me have thoughts here, are there solutions apart from avoiding areas with big tides, or opting for a swing keel?

Many thanks in advance.

Tom.

We have bought a Farrier 24! The only mono hull trailer sailers that provide exhilarating sailing and enough personal space for our family needed a truck to tow them. The Farrier seems like a beautiful thing. Light, fast and roomy (outside) - everything just works. You can even pitch a dome tent on the tramps. They are more expensive than a mono but are a classic boat and resale seems very good. Thanks for helping me get there.