Silhouette is a 17′ 3″ / 5.3 m monohull sailboat designed by Robert Tucker and built by Hurley Marine Ltd. between 1954 and 1986.
- Designer
- Robert Tucker
- Builder
- Hurley Marine Ltd.
- Association
- Silouette Owners International Association
- # Built
- 2000
- Hull
- Monohull
- Keel
- Twin
- Rudder
- ?
- Construction
- Plywood/FG
Dimensions
- Length Overall
- 17′ 3″ / 5.3 m
- Waterline Length
- 14′ 0″ / 4.3 m
- Beam
- 6′ 9″ / 2.1 m
- Draft
- 2′ 0″ / 0.6 m
- Displacement
- 1,820 lb / 826 kg
- Ballast
- ? (Iron)
Rig and Sails
- Type
- Sloop
- Reported Sail Area
- 450′² / 41.8 m²
- Total Sail Area
- ?
Mainsail
- Sail Area
- ?
- P
- ?
- E
- ?
- Air Draft
- ?
Foresail
- Sail Area
- ?
- I
- ?
- J
- ?
- Forestay Length
- ?
Auxilary Power
- Make
- ?
- Model
- ?
- HP
- ?
- Fuel Type
- ?
- Fuel Capacity
- ?
Accomodations
- Water Capacity
- ?
- Holding Tank Capacity
- ?
- Headroom
- ?
- Cabins
- ?
Calculations
- Hull Speed
-
5.3 kn
Classic: 5.02 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
- Sail Area/Displacement
-
48.3
>20: high performance
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.
- Ballast/Displacement
- ?
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
- Displacement/Length
-
295.7
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
- Comfort Ratio
-
14.6
<20: lightweight racing boat
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
- Capsize Screening
-
2.2
>2.0: better suited for coastal cruising
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
Notes
Since first introduced there have been several different variations of this design with different methods of contruction. Originally designed for the home builder, many were sold as kits. The first SILHOUETTE models built of plywood as were the earlier MkII models (1959) Later Mk IIs (1959) were GRP while the Mk III was moulded by Hurley Marine to a revamped design. The central ballast stub was removed, draft and sail area increased. A fin keel version was available but the vast majority had twin keels. The Mk 4, built by Varne Marine, added two bunks. See the class website for more details. See SILHOUETTE MKII. Of all the different versions, it is thought that at least 3000 have been built.
