Irwin 25
# Irwin 25

The Irwin 25 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Ted Irwin as a cruiser and first built in 1969.

## Production

The design was built by Irwin Yachts in the United States from 1969 until 1976, but it is now out of production.

## Design

The Irwin 25 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig; a spooned, raked stem; a raised counter, plumb transom; an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel with a retractable centerboard. A fixed fin keel model was also available. It displaces 5,400 lb (2,449 kg) and carries 2,200 lb (998 kg) of lead ballast.

The keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of 4.0 ft (1.2 m), while the centreboard-equipped version has a draft of 6.67 ft (2.03 m) with the centerboard extended and 2.67 ft (0.81 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.

The boat is normally fitted with a small 4 to 8 hp (3 to 6 kW) outboard motor, or an inboard motor for docking and maneuvering.

The design has sleeping accommodation for four to six people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, two straight settees in the main cabin, one of which can convert to a double with the drop-down dinette table, and an aft quarter berth on the port side. The galley is located on the starboard side abeam the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a fold-down two-burner stove, an icebox and a sink. The enclosed head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. Cabin headroom is 69 in (175 cm). The fresh water tank has a capacity of 14 U.S. gallons (53 L; 12 imp gal)

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 228 and a hull speed of 6.1 kn (11.3 km/h).

## Operational history

The boat is supported by an active class club, the Irwin Yacht Owners.

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Ted Irwin grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, and as a kid sailed boats in Tampa Bay. As a young man, he worked briefly in the plant of Charlie Morgan's Morgan Yacht Corp. That experience may have rubbed off a bit on the design of his Irwin 25 (introduced in 1968), which to a great extent resembles the Morgan 24/25 ... introduced in 1965. Both boats were popular club racers in the later 1960s and 1970s, but somehow the Morgan usually had the edge. The Irwin has the same displacement but a bit more ballast, a foot shorter waterline but a longer LOD as her overhangs are not as chopped off as the Morgan's; she has many similarities below the waterline, including a high aspect ratio centerboard ... her headroom gains an inch due to her doghouse, and her PHRF is a scant three seconds per mile higher. She was available as a keel/centerboarder ... or with a full keel (4' 0" draft, 1825 lbs. ballast). She had a choice of layouts: settee berths and a portside quarter berth ... or a dinette arrangement. Best features: None notable. Worst features: Centerboards and pendants on these boats are prone to problems,"

