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s2 sailboat 7.9

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  • Sailboat Reviews

A fast boat targeted at a variety of sailors, the 7.9 makes a good racer, but not a cruiser.

After Leon Slikkers sold Slickcraft, his powerboat company, in the early 1970’s, he built a sailboat factory the way a sailboat factory should be built. The result was S2 yachts and a factory quite in contrast to the normal dingy warehouse with blobbed polyester resin hardened on rough concrete floors.

S2 7.9

Originally known for cruising designs, S2 Yachts opened their second decade in business by entering the high performance field, building first a trailerable racer/cruiser, the S2 7.9. The 7.9 stands for meters, which translates into American as 25′ 11″. The boat stayed in production up until S2 shut down its sailboat operations in 1986.

Designed by the Chicago-based naval architects Scott Graham and Eric Schlageter, the 7.9 was the first in a series of competitive production boats. The series was originally called “Grand Slam,” but the company later dropped the designation. With over 400 built between the boat’s introduction in 1982 and 1986, the 7.9 was relatively successful during a time when few boats in its size range were selling.

The 7.9 was a pricey boat for her size. Equipped with sail handling gear, four sails (main, jib, genoa, and spinnaker), outboard motor, speedo, and compass, her 1985 price was about $27,000. For comparison, a comparably equipped J/24 of the time would run you around $21,000, an Olson 25 about $22,000. Add an inboard engine, a trailer, and miscellaneous gear and you could easily have dropped $36,000 on the 7.9—a hefty tab for a 26′ boat.

Construction

The hull and deck of the 7.9 are hand-laid fiberglass, cored with end-grain balsa. S2 bragged about its glasswork, and the company had a high reputation in the industry for both its gelcoat and its hand layup.

Beginning somewhere around hull number 400, S2 switched from conventional polyester resin to a modified epoxy resin—AME 4000. The company claimed the epoxy resin is stronger, lighter, and less subject to blistering.

The hull is fair with no bumps or hard spots evident—probably the result of the company’s practice of installing most of the interior before removing the hull from its mold. The gelcoat appears to be thicker than is usual in production boats—a good

feature since minor scratches and dings can be “rubbed out” without penetrating to the laminate.

For their standard hull-to-deck joint, S2 used an inward turning flange onto which the deck molding is set—a desirable design, especially when bedded in flexible adhesive (such as 3M 5200) and through bolted at close intervals. However on the 7.9, rather than being through bolted, the deck is mechanically fastened to the hull only with screws through the slotted aluminum toerail, a detail that indicates the boat is not intended for heavy-duty offshore work.

The boat came with a one-design package of good quality deck hardware. All hardware is through bolted, with stainless backing plates on the lifeline stanchions but with only washers and nuts on all other hardware. This would seem to be problematic with the balsa core, but we have heard no reports of problems so far.

Although the company offered the boat in a fixed keel version, the vast majority of boats have a lead ballasted daggerboard.

The advantages of a daggerboard are, first, that it retracts to be flush with the bottom of the hull to make the boat trailer launchable, second, that you can float the boat in a mere 13″ of water (though she will have no directional control with the board totally up—you’ll need at least a foot of board showing for control under sail or power), and, third, with the board totally down, the boat has a 5′ deep hydrodynamically efficient keel, a depth that would be extreme on a fixed-keel boat this size.

The disadvantage of the daggerboard will come in a hard grounding. Whereas a centerboard would kick out of the way, the board is likely to bash around a bit in its trunk. A nice detail by S2 is that the bottom opening of the trunk is surrounded by a strong weldment which will mitigate the potential damage to the hull from a grounding. Another potential disadvantage is that, on many boats, the daggerboard trunk messes up the interior, but the designers have done a good job on the 7.9, incorporating the daggerboard into a centerline bulkhead.

Nearly a third of the 1,750 pounds ballast is in the board, with the remaining two-thirds glassed to the interior of the hull. When the board is fully lowered, it fits snugly in a V-Shaped crotch—a good design detail—but when it’s raised out of the V using the three-part tackle and winch, it will bang about loosely in the daggerboard trunk. There is no way to pin the board down—an obvious potential problem in severe conditions.

The boat, however, has passed the MORC self-righting test with the daggerboard in the fully raised position. In the test, the mast-head is hove down to the water, the bagged mainsail and genoa are tied to the masthead, and the whole shebang released. This is not a test of ultimate stability, since other boats which passed the test have turtled and sunk, but it is reassuring. However, the design is clearly dependent mostly on its beamy hull form for righting and not on its ballast—another indication the boat is intended for close-to-shore sailing.

The transom-hung rudder—pivoted for trailering—is of foam-cored fiberglass (the foam gives it neutral bouyancy in water). We like the idea of a transomhung rudder: it’s accessible for inspection and service, it lessens the potential damage to the hull that can occur when a rudder smashes into something, and it gets the rudder farther away from the keel to give the tiller a more responsive feel.

The fractional rig—with mast and boom made by Offshore Spars—is dinghy-like, having swept-back spreaders which make the upper shrouds function as backstays. The actual backstay does virtually nothing to support the rig; instead, its primary function is to bend the mast to control mainsail performance. Although the mast is easily bendable, it’s a surprisingly heavy section for a modern racing rig—it’s also untapered. Everything is internal in the mast and boom, with all lines eventually coming back to the cockpit in typical modern racing style.

Upper and lower shrouds attach to inboard chainplates. The starboard chainplate is attached to a well bonded plywood bulkhead, but the port chainplate is longer, attached to the fiberglass structure which forms the front edge of the galley. Since there is a 2′ “free span” of unsupported chainplate between the galley and deck, the chainplate in the highly-loaded rig works a lot, and one of the most common owner complaints about the boat is the leaking port chainplate that results.

A fiberglass floorpan makes up the berths, floor, and galley area. Instead of a ceiling, S2 uses carpeting for interior covering of the hull. One good detail about the carpeting is that Velcro will stick to it—you can hang anything anywhere—but we have to wonder how the carpet will stand up to salt accumulation. There is virtually no bilge, so water inside will turn everything soggy.

Generally, the boat is well constructed, with good detail work and hardware. While we believe that every “racer-cruiser” should be designed and built to handle extreme conditions offshore, the hull shape, the daggerboard design, and the hull-to-deck joint show us that S2 did not intend for this boat to be involved in those extremes.

Handling Under Power

The standard 7.9 is be outboard powered. The option was a BMW 7.5 hp one-lung diesel with the shockingly high price tag of $5400 new. When BMW got out of the marine business, S2 offered the boat with the 7.5 hp Yanmar.

The little diesel handles the boat well, though owners report that it will not punch through a heavy headsea. This is probably more the result of the folding Martec prop which comes as part of the inboard package rather than any lack of power in the engine.

The inboard installation is well done. The ply-wood stringers glassed to the hull support vibration-damping mounts for the engine. Standard installation includes a stainless steel eight gallon fuel tank, properly grounded, a heavy duty Purolator filter/water-separator, a waterlift muffler, and single-lever shift/throttle controls.

Both the fuel shut off and the fuel filter are difficult to get to—through an inspection port in the port quarterberth—but access to the engine is otherwise good, with hinged companionway steps opening out of the way so dipstick, decompression switch, engine controls, water pump are easy to get at. For more serious work on the engine, the quarterberth panels are removable for virtually total access. One good feature of the BMW is that it is the one engine we’ve ever seen that is actually easy to start by hand cranking. It made S2’s one-battery installation workable. With the Yanmar, owners may want to look for a place to stow a second battery; offhand, there’s no obviously good location.

As you might expect on a 4400 pound boat, the outboard is minimally adequate except for backing up and except in any wind or sea conditions. We would normally recommend the inboard for the 7.9, but there is a problem—the underwater drag of the shaft, strut, and propeller—an important consideration for the racer.

Our conclusion is that the serious racer should probably look for the outboard model and just suffer the poor performance under power. If you will be primarily daysailing, weekending, and cruising, we recommend the inboard.

If you’re planning a combination of racing and cruising, you’ll just have to make a judgment which aspect you want to emphasize.

Handling Under Sail

The 7.9 is a proven performer under sail, being not only a fast boat for her size but also competitive in handicap racing under MORC and PHRF. Her PHRF rating of 168 says that she’s about the same speed as the J/24, Merit 25, and similar current racing boats, and about the same speed as such older racer-cruisers as the Pearson 30, Cal 34, Catalina 30 tall rig, or Irwin 30.

With her narrow entry forward, a big fat rear end, and a fractional rig with most of the power in the mainsail, she will be better behaved than her high-performance cousins designed to the IOR rule. Owners report that her one bad habit is to wipe out in heavy puffs when beating.

Her dinghy-shaped hull means she’ll have to be sailed flat for best performance, which in turn means lots of lard on the rail when the wind pipes up. Five people, the heavier the better, is de rigueur for heavy air racing.

For daysailing and cruising, she’s got plenty of reefable sail area, and she should perform well with the four standard class sails: main, 155% genoa, 105% jib, and spinnaker.

Peak performance will take lots of tweaking and fiddling with the rig. This will be no problem for the high-performance dinghy sailor graduating to a cruising boat, but it will take a lot of learning about mastbend and sail shape for the newcomer. Nonetheless, even when not tuned to perfection, she should perform well enough to be a pleasant daysailer for the weekend hacker.

Deck Layout

The 7.9’s inboard shrouds, wide decks, and big cockpit will make for pleasant moving about on deck. The nonskid is good—among the best we’ve seen in a production boat. It will remove skin from bare knuckles.

The boat will be sailed from the cockpit, and she’s well laid out for sail handling. The primary winches are, if anything, oversize—a true rarity these days—and the secondary winches on the cabin top are adequate for halyard and spinnaker work. (Note, though, that the lead daggerboard is raised and lowered using the starboard secondary winch. One of our readers reports blowing up the winch; another says, “The #16 winch is inadequate for a woman or small man to handle the board.”)

Like the J/24 and other performance boats, the helmsman and crew will sit on the deck rather than in the cockpit when racing. However, unlike the J/24, the 7.9 does have a true cockpit, and it’s comfortable. The seat bottoms are slightly concave, the seat backs are nearly a foot high and contoured to support the small of the back, and seat-to-sole distance gives comfortable leg room. The mainsheet traveler is smack in the middle of the cockpit and will prove a shin ravager until you get used to it. But, the cockpit will comfortably daysail six and drink eight at dockside and is definitely a strong point for the boat.

There are two substantial cockpit lockers for stowage. Several owners report that the lockers leak—a nuisance in what appears to be an otherwise dry boat.

As one owner puts it, “The interior does the best it can.” With about 5′ 4″ headroom, the cabin will require stooping for most people. Still, we admire S2’s restraint—they could have easily added 6″ to the doghouse to get “standing” headroom. And to get a boat that would be as ugly as some of their early cruising models.

S2 was not suckered by the how-many-does-shesleep syndrome for this model. Both quarterberths are long and wide, and the forward V-berth is truly sleepable with the boat dockside or at anchor. The only drawback to the arrangements is that the space between berth and side decks is so short that sitting upright will be uncomfortable for anyone over 6′.

The galley (or, more accurately, the galley area) is absolutely minimal, with a shallow sink and small icebox. There’s a tiny counter area—either for counterspace or for a one-burner alcohol stove—but anyone wanting to weekend or cruise with more than PB&J’s will have to revamp the galley.

The daggerboard trunk is well disguised, forming one wall of the head. The head itself is cramped, to say the least—you can sit on the Porta Potti, but your knees will stick out through the privacy curtain. Still, the head location is preferable to the all-too common position under the V-berth.

Ventilation below is nonexistent. Opening ports were available as options. A small quarterberth opening port or a forepeak vent would be desirable. Compared to a larger boat’s “yacht” finish or even to a 25′ cruising boat, the 7.9’s interior will seem plain and functional.

On the other hand, it’s luxurious compared to a J/24, J/27, Merit 25, or Evelyn 26. The boat can be weekended in comfort. If you can stand camping out, the boat can even be cruised.

Trailerability

With a 9′ beam, the 7.9 is not legally trailerable in any state without special wide-load permits. Yet most of the boats have been sold with trailers, and the company boasts of its trailerability and easy launchability. How is this possible?

The consensus is that, with the daggerboard retracted, the boat sits so low on the trailer that it doesn’t look that wide. A keelboat on a trailer—a Merit 25, for example—looks much bigger and a bored cop is more likely to stop and measure a keelboat than a 7.9. At any rate, 7.9s are trailered, and we know of none ever being ticketed or, for that matter, even questioned.

Conclusions

S2 did a good job of aiming the boat at a variety of sailors: racers, daysailors, and weekenders.

For racers interested in a one-design boat, the class is not strong outside the Great Lakes. But for the sailor into handicap racing, the boat seems a good possibility. It’s definitely competitive in MORC and PHRF fleets. And unlike other high-performance boats its size—the Olson 25, J/24, Merit 25, Evelyn 26, or Capri 25—the 7.9 is a boat you could stand sleeping aboard or taking on a rainy overnight race.

For the sailor primarily interested in daysailing and weekending, the 7.9 will also be worth serious consideration. She is definitely on the pricey side for 26′ boats, but her quality construction and equipment are what you get for the extra money. She may be a little on the high-performance side for the real novice, but her four-sail class package should be fairly easy to handle even for the newcomer.

We really could not recommend her as a cruiser. Well, maybe as a pocket cruiser. S2 clearly didn’t intend her for cruising or offshore sailing; still, she’s well made, a fast boat, and maybe if our seamanship were good enough…but no, if it’s a fast cruiser we’d like at 25′ to 26′, we’ll keep looking.

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Looking at an s2 7.9

  • Thread starter SailingLoto
  • Start date Oct 28, 2022
  • Forums for All Owners
  • Ask All Sailors

SailingLoto

SailingLoto

I have an opportunity to make an offer on a 1984 s2 7.9 Boat has set unused out of water on a lift for the last decade or so. I understand these are balsa cored hulls. Anything special I should look at other than the typical sailboat things? I've been around a few s2s but nothing this racey. What are your thoughts on the s2 as an upgrade to my current c25 swing keel? I daysail on a lake, no racing, minimal overnights. Thanks in advance.  

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

www.practical-sailor.com

S2 7.9 - Practical Sailor

www.practical-sailor.com

jssailem said: Never sailed one. You should know what reviews say. Here is Practical Sailor’s observation. S2 7.9 - Practical Sailor Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying. www.practical-sailor.com The association reports 400 were built. Designed to be a one class racing boat. It will be light weight design and spartan interior. Racing boats get used a lot. Often offered for sale when they loose their edge and can no longer stay up with the pack. The association states “ New sails are required, prerequisite to join association “ Good luck. Click to expand
FastOlson said: We used to cruise in company with a couple that cruised their 7.9 a lot. It's a minimalist interior, but it's all there , as the saying goes. Main feature is an enclosed head. Roomy boat and it sails very well. Nice deck layout. They had a small OD fleet here, but only for a few seasons; it proved difficult to keep 5 of them on a starting line. Their boat was later trailered down to Mexico by a subsequent owner who was living aboard some, and sailing a lot. I wonder if the OP is looking at the outboard model with the drop keel, or one of ones with the rare option of a fin keel or an inboard? Anyhow, get a good survey of the cored hull. (true for all the S2 "Grand Slam" series) Compared to their Cat 25, the will be a real joy to sail. Absolutely. And don't get stressed over the word "racing".... yeah, you can do that (heck, people have seriously raced OD in Catalina 30's in SF, for years) , but firstly the S2 is a really fast and fun sail boat. Click to expand

Jumpstart

If it is the fixed keel it will have a double spreader rig. Could it be a S2 27 which looks like the 7.9 but is more cruise oriented. They only made about 6 fixed keel 7.9s used mostly for MORC racing.  

Good to know. It's a 7.9 drop keel. I checked it out today. Should get a look at it next weekend with the lift down so I can look at it inside and out.  

quadrille38

quadrille38

My first boat was the 6.7 (22ft) version of this boat. S2 built the 22s first and then later upsized to produce the 27s. Was a well built, fast and stable hull. As you say very Spartan inside but was a good boat. Mine was a 1980 model. Was actually the factory demo when I bought it. The design was a retractable keel. Vertically retractable into a trunk that ran up through the middle of the cabin. Winch on top of cabin to crank it up. The 22 was very trailerable and drew about 10 inches with the keel up. About 4 ft with it down. The 27 could also be trailered although as you can imagine a bit beefier vehicle to do it. I pulled the 22 with a Pontiac Grand Prix. S2 did have solid reputation for the quality of their glass work. It’s something they’ve generally been noted for. Some history - a guy named Leon Slicker built power boats under the Slickcraft brand until he sold the company to AMF corporation. He had a non compete that prohibited building power boats. After a few years he got into sail boats under the S2 brand. Some of the early boats weren’t great sailers but they got better. When the oil embargo of the 1070s ended and fuel prices started to go down, and the non compete expired Mr. Slicker decided to get back into power boats. The S2 brand quit Making sail boats and began producing Tiara and Pursuit power boats. I think if you look at the Slicker era slickcraft (before AMF kind of destroyed the brand), the S2 sail boats and the Tiara / Pursuit lines I think you will see generally high quality boats with what I’d say is very high quality glass work. Since my S2 I’ve owned an O’Day, a Catalina, and now a Hunter. All good boats in many ways but none of the latter had the quality of glass work as my S2 did.  

Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

It's a very nice boat design and quality wise and surely a more desirable boat for sailing performance, but I suspect it won't be as comfortable as your Catalina 25. They are both so similar in size. What is your preference? Performance or Comfort?  

Indysailor

I have not seen a 7.9 fixed keel. I know there is the 8.0 which is a fixed keel and is more roomy than the 7.9. If it's a 7.9, whether you race or not, this boat is fun to sail and is fast. It points well and has a lot to offer if you're interested in improved performance over a C25. It also has a very comfortable cockpit, except for the shin breaking traveler. If it's a 8.0, it will still be a nice boat, more comfortable overnight than the 7.9.  

Indysailor said: I have not seen a 7.9 fixed keel. I know there is the 8.0 which is a fixed keel and is more roomy than the 7.9. If it's a 7.9, whether you race or not, this boat is fun to sail and is fast. It points well and has a lot to offer if you're interested in improved performance over a C25. It also has a very comfortable cockpit, except for the shin breaking traveler. If it's a 8.0, it will still be a nice boat, more comfortable overnight than the 7.9. It's definitely a 7.9, it says it in huge numbers on the side. It looks fun. Unfortunately I had some health issues and haven't been back to look at it up close yet. Click to expand

We'll, it appears they did make a small number with a fk, according to Practical Sailor. The ones I've sailed have been very nicely built, you'll feel likes it's quite solid compared to a Catalina 25.  

Well, years later now and it has been given to me. Unfortunately, she's well beyond saving. The hull coring is gone... lift has cracked and left holes in the bottom. Decks are soft. I'm patching the holes and towing her to the trailer in the next few days. She will be going to a friend who has 2 other 7.9's he races in Florida as a parts boat. I'm keeping the kicker, spinnaker and a couple bits of hardware for my time and effort.  

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  • Sailboat Guide

s2 sailboat 7.9

1994 S2 7.9

  • Description

Seller's Description

S2 7.9, 1994 near Detroit, MI.

Solid fresh water boat in excellent condition.

Firm deck with no soft spots. Spectra backstay with flicker. Bottom professionally barrier coated by Sarns Marine in Harrison Twp, Michigan.

LOA 25’11” LWL 21’8” Beam 9’ Maximum Draft 5’ Minimum Draft 1’2” (dagger board up) Displacement 4,250 lbs. Sail Area 329 sq. ft.

Outboard and Trailer: Custom built TIG welded 3/16” steel trailer with dual axles and electric brakes Four new radial tires in February 2017. New trailer lights and frame painted in November 2019. 8 hp Evinrude Yacht Twin Outboard motor runs great.

Sail inventory: Spinnaker - October 2015. Doyle Boston of Canada Kevlar Main - May 2012. Quantum Genoa - June 2011. Also includes a storm jib, a cruising main and a second spinnaker in a launch turtle.

Instruments:

Raymarine ST60 Plus Speed and Depth installed May 2007. SIMRAD TP10 TillerPilot in 2009. Dual Suunto Marine Compasses mounted on bulkhead.

Other Equipment:

Self-tailing winch for centerboard. New SS Garhauer 4 to 1 purchase keel blocks in 2017. New solar powered cabin vent in 2018. Newer StarBoard companionway hatches. New black companionway guides (horizontal and vertical) ready to be installed. Loos rig tension gauge & docks lines, extra blocks, fenders, horseshoe buoy, etc. $19,500 or best offer.

More pictures at :

Boat can be seen at Sarns Marine on N. River Road, Harrison Twp., MI

or phone (313) 330-7533

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

  • SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

A few (17) were delivered with a fixed keel and masthead rig. (See S2 7.9FK for specs.) Inboard power available as an option… BMW 7.5 hp diesel.

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    Beam:  11'11'    Draft:  5'6'
    Beam:  12'    Draft:  5.5'
    Beam:  11'    Draft:  5' 5'
    Beam:  11.5'    Draft:  4.25'
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    Beam:  10'    Draft:  3' 11'
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    Beam:  10'3'    Draft:  3'11'
    Beam:  10.25'    Draft:  4.9'
    Beam:  11'    Draft:  4.5'
    Beam:  10.5'    Draft:  5.5'
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    Beam:  10.5'    Draft:  5.6'
    Beam:  11'    Draft:  3'11'
    Beam:  10.25'    Draft:  4.92'
    Beam:  10' 3'    Draft:  4''
    Beam:  10'2'    Draft:  4'9'
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    Beam:  9.25'    Draft:  4.75'
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    Beam:  9.25'    Draft:  3.75'
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  5'

s2 sailboat 7.9

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  1. Home

    September 19-22. MBYC Holland, MI. Registration is still open. This year the Class Championship moves back to the home of the S2 7.9 in Holland, MI. Join us on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan and Macatawa Bay for the 2024 Class Championship. Macatawa Bay Yacht Club has a ramp on site and trailer parking nearby.

  2. S2 7.9

    AKA the Grand Slam 7.9 Sail area: -Main: 180 ft² / 16.72 m² -Jib: 149 ft² / 13.84 m² A few (17) were delivered with a fixed keel and masthead rig. (See S2 7.9FK for specs.) Inboard power available as an option… BMW 7.5 hp diesel.

  3. S2 7.9

    The S2 7.9 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of hand laid fiberglass with an end-grain balsa core, with wood trim. All models have a raked stem, a plumb transom and a transom-hung, pivoting rudder controlled by a tiller. [1] [2] [4] [5] [12]The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. A German BMW inboard diesel engine of 7.5 hp (6 kW) was ...

  4. S2 7.9

    The boat stayed in production up until S2 shut down its sailboat operations in 1986. Designed by the Chicago-based naval architects Scott Graham and Eric Schlageter, the 7.9 was the first in a series of competitive production boats. The series was originally called "Grand Slam," but the company later dropped the designation.

  5. S2 7.9

    S2 7.9 is a 25′ 11″ / 7.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Graham & Schlageter and built by S2 Yachts starting in 1981. ... the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more. Formula. D/L = (D ...

  6. S2 7.9

    The first model was the trailerable racer-cruiser S2 7.9. The boat was a big success and continues to compete in the marketplace and on the race course against the J/24, Olson 25, Merit 25 and other boats of its era. The boat was designed by Scott Graham and Eric Schlageter, principals of Chicago-based G&S naval architecture firm.

  7. About the S2 7.9

    What sets the S2 7.9 sailboat apart is the passionate community that has formed around it, supported by the S2 7.9 Class Association. This association plays a pivotal role in fostering camaraderie, knowledge sharing, and growth within the S2 7.9 community. By organizing events and regattas, the Class Association offers a platform for sailors to ...

  8. PDF S2 7.9 Tuning Guide

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  9. Sailboat • S-2 7.9 Grand Slam • TIARA/S-2 YACHTS

    Sailboat • $5,000 • 1983 • S-2 7.9 Grand Slam • TIARA/S-2 YACHTS. Designed by Graham & Schlageter and built by Tiara Yachts of Holland MI, the 7.9 meter was one of the other Grand Slam series of racer/cruisers that enjoyed a great run of nearly 550 hulls starting in 1981. S-2 also had a line of family cruisers which were successful in ...

  10. 1984 S2 7.9 sailboat for sale in Virginia

    1984 S2 7.9 Grand Slam fractional rigged trailerable racer/cruiser Boat has been lovingly cared for, and recently upgraded throughout. This is hull 399 and after the blistering issues of the earlier models. This boat early on had the full sternrail upgrade done. Boat core is very dry. Mast step has already been upgraded. Mast rewiring was done ...

  11. S2 7.9 Used Boat Reci

    s2_7.9.jpg. Although quite tame by today's "sport boat" standards, the S-2 7.9 was designed as a high-performance model intended to compete, in the marketplace at least, with other boats of its era such as the J-24, Olson 25, and Evelyn 26. Like her competition, the S2 7.9 provides exhilarating sailing performance and has the added benefit of ...

  12. FAQ / Tech Library

    What are the dimensions of the S2 7.9 sailboat? The S2 7.9 has an overall length of 25 feet 11 inches (7.9 meters), a waterline length of 21 feet 8 inches (6.6 meters), and a beam (width) of 9 feet (2.74 meters). It has a draft of 5 feet (1.52 meters) with the daggerboard keel.

  13. 1982 S2 Yachts 7.9 Grand Slam sailboat for sale in Mississippi

    1 - 5'. Mississippi. $3,700. Description: 1982 S2 Yachts 7.9 Grand Slam trailerable sailboat. Begin your sailing adventures today, everything to enjoy your time is included. The sailboat has had the diesel engine and fuel tank removed to allow for additional storage space underneath the cockpit and replaced with a new 2021 Mercury 5hp Sail ...

  14. S2 7.9 Class Association

    S2 7.9 Class Association. Related Sailboats: Sort by: ... 1 Sailboats / Per Page: 25 / Page: 1. 0 CLICK to COMPARE . MODEL LOA FIRST BUILT FAVORITE COMPARE; S2 7.9: 25.92 ft / 7.90 m: 1981: ShipCanvas. KiwiGrip. Bruntons. Rudder Craft. SPW Non-BR. Pelagic Autopilots ...

  15. Looking at an s2 7.9

    S2 7.9 - Practical Sailor. Since 1974, Practical Sailor's independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying. www.practical-sailor.com. The association reports 400 were built. Designed to be a one class racing boat.

  16. 1987 S2 7.9 meter sailboat for sale in Alabama

    1.25'. Alabama. $8,500. Description: I am the original owner. The boat comes with; main sail, 155%, 110%,and Spinnaker, plus trailer and additional sails. The engine is a 4 stroke Honda with two year old water pump. The racing record is extensive both at home and Dauphin Island. The boat has been sailed in fresh water.

  17. S2 7.9 Fixed Keel Sailboat

    This sailboat comes complete with spinnaker pole and 11 sails, rod rigging, 2014 6 HP Toahatsu long sharft outboard, port a potty (2014). Exterior needs some TLC but she is fast, fun and ready tos sai | Search-Boats.com ... S2 7.9 Fixed Keel Sailboat. Price: $ 2,650. Make: S2; Model: 7.9; Condition: Used; Seller notes.

  18. 1994 S2 7.9

    S2 7.9, 1994 near Detroit, MI. Solid fresh water boat in excellent condition. Firm deck with no soft spots. Spectra backstay with flicker. Bottom professionally barrier coated by Sarns Marine in Harrison Twp, Michigan. LOA 25'11" LWL 21'8" Beam 9' Maximum Draft 5' Minimum Draft 1'2" (dagger board up) Displacement 4,250 lbs. Sail ...

  19. S2 Yachts (USA)

    S2 Yachts (USA) The company, located in Holland, Michigan, USA, was founded by boating industry legend, Leon Slikkers, after he had sold his powerboat company, Slickcraft. As part of the sales agreement, he was precluded from the powerboat market for a number of years. There were no restrictions on sailboat building.

  20. S2 7.9 FK

    Est. Forestay Length: 35.44 ft / 10.80 m. Sailboat Links. Builders: S2 Yachts (USA) Download Boat Record: Notes. A somewhat rare variant of the S2 7.9 with a fixed keel and masthead rig. Sailboat Forum.

  21. 1987 S2 7.9 sailboat for sale in Minnesota

    Minnesota. $12,000. Description: Tenacious Hull #503 Freshwater Solid Swing Keel. Headroom 5'5" Cockpit 8'long Storage beneath forepeak, salon qtr berths, snf cockpit seats. Head porta potty. Stern swim ladder. Tiller tamer. Winters inside Boat cover.

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