A Smallish Yacht:Alerion 20 Article and Photos by Bill Jacobs


a stretch, no, maybe a shrink, to use the word to describe a vessel which is only 20 feet long. Te word used in this context is anchored deep in the her-


T


itage of Nathaniel Herreshoff, one of the greatest designers of yachts in maritime history. Its namesake, the 26 foot “Alerion III” was designed by Herreshoff in 1912 for his own use for sailing the waters of Bermuda each winter. He called her his favorite boat and her name was the inspi-


ration for the Alerion Express 28. In 1988 she was designed by Carl Schumacher as a custom boat for Ralph Schacter an, East Coast sailor. He was so pleased with it that he thought it could be successful as a production boat. With design assistance from Schumacher, molds were built and production began in 1990 with Holby Marine who were building semi-custom boats. She became an instant hit featuring a return to the sleek lines and low freeboard of classic sailing yachts. Te second boat in the lineup introduced in 1996 is the Alerion Express 20, also de- signed by Schumacher. Over the ensuing years the name and the production of the boats have changed and now includes models up to 33 feet. Most recently ownership has changed from Peter Johnstone to Peter Eastman and construction of the newest Alerions continues in conjunction with builder Randy Borges. Te Alerion line has been the inspiration for the market niche of high quality, traditionally styled daysailers of all sizes that are being produced by builders worldwide. The Alerion 20 came about at the right time for me as I entered the last decade of my sailing experiences. A past that


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he word yacht has implications, generally associated and reserved for sailing vessels in excess of 40 feet, so maybe it’s


Alerion Express 20 Length Overall Air Draſt


Displacement (includes ballast) Ballast


Sail Area Sail Area/Displacement


Designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff 20' 0


Length Water Line Beam Draſt


17' 1" 6' 10" 3' 6"


30' 8"


1,900 lb. 780 lbs.


220 sq. ſt. 22.95


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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