Albin Vega

Price: £4,000-£8,000

In the 1960s there were many designs that attempted to capitalise on the success of the Folkboat, while offering more space and the economies of building in fibreglass. The 27ft Albin Vega was the most commercially successful of all, outselling the Westerly

Centaur by 50%, with almost 3,500 boats built in a 14 year period from 1965.

With 12% more beam, a much longer waterline and greater freeboard, Per Brohall designed the Vega to be a somewhat larger vessel than the Folkboat. The accommodation is therefore tangibly larger, with space for a sea toilet and hanging locker between saloon and forecabin, although at 1.73m (5ft

8in) headroom falls just short of full height. It’s still cramped by today’s standards, although berth lengths are generous, particularly in the saloon, and many owners have cruised on board for months or even years at a time.

Few small boats have undertaken a greater number of long passages than the Albin Vega and many have crossed oceans or completed round the world cruises. Only four years after teaching himself

to sail Matt Rutherford, for instance, completed a 283 day, 27,000 mile circumnavigation of the Americas via the North West Passage in 2012. The scale of this voyage is such that he spent 41 days continuously on port tack in the Pacific ocean.

While the overwhelming majority of Vega owners have much more modest ambitions, it’s reassuring to know that when appropriately equipped and maintained the boat can intrinsically cope with much more.

One drawback however is handling under power. Even among long-keel yachts the Vega has a reputation for being difficult thanks to the location of the propeller. This is behind the rudder which makes for difficult manoeuvring, whether ahead or astern.

The Albin Vega also spawned the smaller Viggen 23 and larger Singola 34. Both were fin and skeg designs, rather than long keel like the Vega, and the Viggen also proved popular with around 1,500 built. The Singola was not so much of a commercial success and is comparatively rare.

albinvega.co.uk

LOA

LWL Beam Draught Displacement Ballast 8.25m 7.00m 2.44m 1.17m 2,300kg 915kg (27ft 1in) (23ft 0in)

(8ft 0in) (3ft 10in) (5,070lb) (2,020lb)