Seaway 25

The Seaway 25 was designed by Doug Peterson of USA fame for Tom Stevenson in 1978 after Tom won the World half Ton championship in one of Doug's designs. The yacht was designed to sail well on the short sharp chop of Port Phillip Bay Melbourne Australia. Intended to rate as a quarter ton Trailer yacht under IOR and Junior Offshore Group racing both for Harbour and Inshore Yacht racing.

Specifications
LOA Length 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)  
Length waterline 21 ft 2 in ( 6.45 m)  
Beam Width 8 ft 1.5 in ( 2.49 m)  
Draft Board down 5 ft 0 in ( 1.52 m)  
Draft Board up 1 ft 1 in (0.33 m)  
Displacement 2800 lb ( 1270 kg) light  
Ballast 1300 lb ( 590 kg)  
Tow Mass 2800 lb (1270 kg)+ trailer + gear  
Rigging 3/4 Fractional rig sloop
Mast 30 ft 0 in (9.55 m) (Etchel) single, backswept spreader
Sails Main 135 ft² ( 13.8m²)
Jib < (100%) 108 ft² ( 10.9 m²)
#1 Genoa (150%) 162 ft² ( 16 m²)
#2 Genoa ( %) ft² ( m²)
#3 Genoa (75%) 82 ft² (8.32 m²)
Spinnaker 345 ft² ( 35 m²)

I = 25.5 ft (8.12 m)

J = 8.5 ft (2.7 m)

P = 27 ft (8.6 m)

E = 10 ft (3.18 m)

Sailing details

Handicaps

Class based Handicaps,

  • CBH (Aust.) = 0.725,
  • Other = ,

Sailing Characteristics; Well balanced helm in all conditions. Safe boat in rough seas and excelled in light ghosting conditions. Stern is narrower than more recent boats and has better than normal windward performance but will plane in moderate seas.

Notable Performances; Seaway 25's took the first four places in the 1979 Geelong to Queenscliff Trailable Yacht race. The Seaway 25 team won the Division 1 Class Trophy in the 1979 Marley Point Yacht Race, a 24-hour race through the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, with around 400 mainly trailable yachts. First in the annual Port Phillip 'Cock of the Bay' race 1978 against a large IOR fleet. Regularly raced into the notorious Bass Straight.

Sailing Characteristics; The Seaway 25 is a very heavily built and seaworthy trailer yacht, often being used in Australia for short coastal passage-making. They are usually well over 2,200 kg on a trailer. Due to their excessive towing weight and very heavy mast-section, they are usually kept on a mooring rather than used as a trailer yacht.

Models

There are basically 4 types of Seaway 25 - the Mark 1 (commenced limited production in 1978) the Mark 2, the Elite (which commenced production in 1982) and the 787. The hull designs are the same shape, but the cabin and cockpit layouts differ.

The Mark 1&2 which are almost identical – different builders, lower cabin, semi-enclosed cockpit, twin quarter berths, and a rudder that is located through the cockpit floor. They run their sheets back to the top of the cabin. With a permanent icebox located beneath the cockpit at the companionway, and a shaped centreboard case on the Mark 1.

The Elite - These have a rear hung rudder, a higher cabin (approx 5"10 headroom at entry) and a double berth under the cockpit. Most of the Elites have slightly different layouts, some have V-berths, others none. The cockpits are totally open, and there is no "coaming" around the sides. They are extremely large and wide compared to most other trailer sailers and can seat 6 comfortably. The sheet winches are located on the "seat/side decks". There is a fixed “window” port in each side of the hull.

The 787 was primarily produced as a cruiser has a similar hull/cockpit to the Elite, but the sides of the cabin are pushed out giving a more spacious feel inside, but reduced side deck area, not as convenient for racing.

Both the Mark 1 & 2 and the Elites have an open centreboard case, with the keel rising up into the cabin, which supports a folding table. The head is located ahead of the keel case bulkhead. The 787s have a keel that rakes forward (at approx 75 degrees) into the forward V-Berth. The keel is totally encased, opening through the cabin roof. The head is located beside the keel case.

Accommodation

Number of crew to race = 4 or 5, Berths = 4 or 5, Galley = 2 burner spirit stove, icebox, sink, Head = portable under v-berth, Navigation = folding table in salon, Maximum headroom =5' 10" (1.78 m) Elite and 787, Different layouts between models and some owner finished layouts.

Special features

Rudder is fitted via a removable box in the cockpit sole in early boats which provided for fine balance. However, not as convenient in shallow water or approaching a beach. Later models have stern mounted lifting rudder. Open stern cockpit. Centreboaard Aerofoil vertical lifting with pulley system. Original ballast was 1200 lb moulded in the floors with 100 lb in the centreboard, later models have 300 lb in centreboard. Outboard engine on stern centreline in early models, on bracket in later models.

Construction

Country of origin, Melbourne Australia. Hull material, moulded solid fibreglass. Manufacturer, Stevenson Yachts Melbourne. Some boats were owner-completed and thus the standard of finish and fitment can be extremely variable. Plans availability, No

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References
    • Magazine "Trailer Sailing" 1985, No 3, page 83, Publisher Michael Hannan
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