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1977 — 1986
Bristol 29.9 insignia
Designer
Halsey Herreshoff
Builder
Bristol Yachts
Associations
?
# Built
216
Hull
Monohull
Keel
Fin
Rudder
Skeg
Construction
FG

Dimensions

Length Overall
29 11 / 9.1 m
Waterline Length
24 0 / 7.3 m
Beam
10 2 / 3.1 m
Draft
4 3 / 1.3 m
Displacement
8,650 lb / 3,924 kg
Ballast
3,600 lb / 1,633 kg (Lead)
Drawing of Bristol 29.9
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
  • 8 / 19
    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
  • 13 / 19
    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
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    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
  • 18 / 19
    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD
  • 19 / 19
    Tilghman Island, MD, US
    1977 Bristol 29.9
    $20,489 USD

Rig and Sails

Type
Sloop
Reported Sail Area
391′² / 36.3 m²
Total Sail Area
391′² / 36.3 m²
Mainsail
Sail Area
180′² / 16.7 m²
P
31 11 / 9.8 m
E
11 3 / 3.4 m
Air Draft
?
Foresail
Sail Area
211′² / 19.6 m²
I
37 6 / 11.4 m
J
11 3 / 3.4 m
Forestay Length
39 1 / 11.9 m

Auxilary Power

Make
Yanmar
Model
?
HP
15
Fuel Type
Diesel
Fuel Capacity
18 gal / 68 l

Accomodations

Water Capacity
63 gal / 238 l
Holding Tank Capacity
?
Headroom
?
Cabins
?

Calculations

Hull Speed
7.0 kn
Classic: 6.57 kn

Hull Speed

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.

Formula

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.

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

7.03 knots
Classic formula: 6.57 knots
Sail Area/Displacement
14.9
<16: under powered

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.

Formula

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.
14.85
<16: under powered
16-20: good performance
>20: high performance
Ballast/Displacement
41.6
>40: stiffer, more powerful

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.

Formula

Ballast / Displacement * 100

41.62
<40: less stiff, less powerful
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Displacement/Length
278.8
200-300: moderate

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.

Formula

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
278.82
<100: ultralight
100-200: light
200-300: moderate
300-400: heavy
>400: very heavy
Comfort Ratio
23.4
20-30: coastal cruiser

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.

Formula

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
23.44
<20: lightweight racing boat
20-30: coastal cruiser
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
40-50: heavy bluewater boat
>50: extremely heavy bluewater boat
Capsize Screening
2.0
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

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.

Formula

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
1.98
<2: better suited for ocean passages
>2: better suited for coastal cruising

Notes

Originally the 29.9 was delivered with a Universal Atomic 4 gas engine.
Later models were powered by a 15 hp Yanmar.
By 1983 a 16 hp Universal diesel was standard.
Available with fixed keel or keel-centerboard.
Draft for Keel/CB version:
BU:3.5’ BD: 7.5’
Tall rig:
I: 40.00’
J: 11.25’
P: 34.50’
E: 11.25’

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Measurements:

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