| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Ted Irwin |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1968 |
| Builder(s) | Irwin Yachts |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Irwin 23 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) |
| Draft | 5.75 ft (1.75 m) with centerboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 23.00 ft (7.01 m) |
| LWL | 18.50 ft (5.64 m) |
| Beam | 8.00 ft (2.44 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel with centerboard |
| Ballast | 1,500 lb (680 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | internally-mounted spade-type rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 28.50 ft (8.69 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 9.50 ft (2.90 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 25.00 ft (7.62 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 10.25 ft (3.12 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | masthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 128.13 sq ft (11.904 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 135.38 sq ft (12.577 m2) |
| Total sail area | 263.50 sq ft (24.480 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 252 |
The Irwin 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Ted Irwin as a cruiser and first built in 1968.[1][2][3]
The design was built by Irwin Yachts in the United States, from 1968 until 1975, but it is now out of production.[1][3][4]
The Irwin 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a plumb transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel, with retractable centerboard. It displaces 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and carries 1,500 lb (680 kg) of lead ballast.[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 5.75 ft (1.75 m) with the centerboard extended and 2.42 ft (0.74 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.[1][3]
The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1][3]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a drop-down dinette table and a straight settee in the main cabin and an aft pilot berth on the port side. The galley is located on the port side amidships. The galley is equipped with a sink. The head is located in the bow cabin on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 57 in (145 cm).[1][3]
For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker.[1][3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 252 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h).[3]
The boat is supported by an active class club, the Irwin Yacht Owners.[5]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "The Irwin 23 was the smallest boat commercially produced by Irwin, who ended up building hundreds of boats and dozens of models. Best features: Among her comp[etitor]s, the Irwin is probably the fastest boat, despite her PHRF rating and maximum theoretical speed being equal to both the Sovereign [23 and Sovereign Antares], which have no centerboard for going upwind efficiently, as does the Irwin. The Sovereigns also have higher topsides and a taller cabin, which may provide better headroom but contribute 'top hamper' or windage that tends to slow the boat upwind. Worst features: Irwin's construction quality tended to be so-so at best."[3]