Review of Larsen 28

The hull is made of hand laid fibreglass while the deck is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of hand laid fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The deck is a sandwich construction which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.

The interior is like most other boats made of teak. Teak has the advantage of being naturally very oily and therefore water-repellent, which is suitable on boats.
The boat is equipped with 2 cabins, 4-5 berths, a galley, 25.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.

Note: the boat has also been sold to be self-made/-interiored, which means that the quality of each boat may vary.

Larsen 28 with spinnaker.

Rig of Larsen 28 anno 1987. ´Luna´ in 2020 during a regatta on lake Zürich

The Larsen 28 is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

Keel of Larsen 28 anno 1987. ´Luna´ after lifting in December 2021. Keel and rudder shapes well visible.

Fin keel

The Larsen 28 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

Larsen 28 can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.45 - 1.55 meter (4.76 - 5.06 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The Larsen 28 has been equipped with different engine alternatives.

Alternative 1:

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar diesel engine

The transmission is a saildrive.

Alternative 2:

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar diesel engine

The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.

Alternative 3:

Larsen 28 may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta engine at 12 hp (8 kW). The speed is 6.0 knots.

The transmission is a saildrive.

Alternative 4:

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Vire diesel engine at 6 hp (4 kW). Calculated max speed is about 3.9 knots

The transmission is a saildrive.

Alternative 5:

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Vire diesel engine at 6 hp (4 kW). Calculated max speed is about 3.9 knots

The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.

The fuel tank, which is made of stainless steel, has a capacity of 30.0 liters (7 US gallons, 6 imperial gallons).

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Larsen 28 is 1.95, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Larsen 28 is about 146 kg/cm, alternatively 819 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 146 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 819 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Larsen 28 is 15.7 - 17.8.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Larsen 28 is 3.34.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Larsen 28 is 43%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Larsen 28 is 123 which categorizes this boat among 'ultra light racers'.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for Larsen 28 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 18.7, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 21.6.

What is Relative Speed Performance?

The Relative Speed Performance for Larsen 28 is 88

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 25m² (269 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Larsen 28 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.