Review of Sun Fast 26
Basic specs.
Looking for a new boat? Find a Sun Fast 26 or similar boat for sale
Both the hull and the deck is made of fibreglass. A hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The boat is equipped with 2 cabins, 4 berths, a galley, 100 liters (26 US gallons, 21 imperial gallons) fresh water capacity and toilet facility.
The headroom is above average
The Sun Fast 26 is built with a fractional rig. The sail area for the mailsail + jib is 27.1 m2 (291.7 ft2). 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 gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
The Sun Fast 26 has been built with different keel alternatives.
L-shape fin keel
One option is a L keel. An L-shape keel is a bulb keel with the shape as an L. This keel is less exposed to seaweed, fishing nets and lines.
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.
The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.50 - 1.60 meter (4.92 - 5.22 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Shallow keel
Another option is a shallow keel. A shallow keel allow to sail both coastal and inland waters.
This keel is also made of iron.
Sun Fast 26 can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.25 - 1.35 meter (4.10 - 4.40 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
The fuel tank has a capacity of 25 liters (6 US gallons, 5 imperial gallons).
The Sun Fast 26 has been equipped with different engine alternatives.
Alternative 1:
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 2GM20 diesel engine at 18 hp (13 kW). Calculated max speed is about 6.2 knots
The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.
Alternative 2:
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 1GM10 diesel engine at 10 hp (7 kW). Cruise speed is 5.0 knots. Max speed is 6.0 knots.
The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Sun Fast 26 is 2.18, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
Sun Fast 26 holds a CE certification:
If less than 6 in on board the boat is by European Union certified as Class B. OFFSHORE:What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Sun Fast 26 is about 134 kg/cm, alternatively 754 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 134 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 754 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Sun Fast 26 is 18.5.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Sun Fast 26 is 2.52.
The ballast ratio for Sun Fast 26 is 34%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for Sun Fast 26 is 233 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for Sun Fast 26 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 14.6, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 16.6.
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 23m2 (247 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
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.
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 24.4 m | (80.1 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 24.4 m | (80.1 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 24.4 m | (80.1 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 7.5 m | (24.6 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 7.5 m | (24.6 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 18.7 m | (61.4 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 16.5 m | (54.1 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Cunningham | 3.5 m | (11.4 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 7.0 m | (22.8 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 7.0 m | (22.8 feet) | 8 mm | (5/16 inch) |
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