| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Johannes "Jopie" Helsen |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1974 |
| Builder(s) | Helsen Yacht Corporation |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Helsen 20 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 2,000 lb (907 kg) |
| Draft | 1.17 ft (0.36 m) with swing keel up |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 20.08 ft (6.12 m) |
| LWL | 17.33 ft (5.28 m) |
| Beam | 7.33 ft (2.23 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | swing keel |
| Ballast | 400 lb (181 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | masthead sloop |
| Total sail area | 181.00 sq ft (16.815 m2) |
The Helsen 20 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Johannes "Jopie" Helsen as a cruiser and first built in 1974.[1][2]
The design was built by Helsen Yachts in Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States, starting in 1974, but it is now out of production.[1][3]
Designed as a more compact version of the Helsen 22, the Helsen 20 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig with aluminum spars, a raked stem, a plumb transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable swing keel. It displaces 2,000 lb (907 kg) and carries 400 lb (181 kg) of lead ballast.[1][4]
The boat has a draft of 1.17 ft (0.36 m) with the keel retracted, allowing beaching, operational in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.[1]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two berths in the main cabin. The head is located in the bow cabin between the "V"-berths. A forward-hinged cabin top increases the cabin headroom from 4.25 in (11 cm) with it closed to 5.33 in (14 cm) with it open.[1][4]