26 colgate sailboat

Affordable daysailer that packs a performance punch while offering a stable ride

When Steve Colgate, Olympic sailor and founder of Offshore Sailing School, decided to update his vast fleet of Solings in 1996, he knew just what he wanted. After 35 years of sailing and teaching, Colgate was looking for a durable, safe boat that could be easily handled by novices but also offered the prospect of great performance. Most importantly, the boat had to be affordable. Colgate was convinced that if properly executed this new boat would not only be successful as a trainer but also appeal to the broader sailing public.

When the industry's major manufacturers failed to meet his demands, Colgate decided to develop the boat himself. Teaming up with designer Jim Taylor, whose credits include the handsome Sabre lineup, Colgate created an intriguing boat that bridges the gulf between sluggish pocket cruisers and rocket ship sport boats that require a high level of skill to handle. With a sail-away price of less than $30,000, it appears that Colgate's premise was right on the money. More than 100 of the boats have already been sold.

Few boats have been as carefully conceived as the new Colgate 26. An LOA of 25 feet, 8 inches, for example, means that the Coast Guard classifies the boat as a Class I vessel (Class II is 26 to 40 feet), which limits basic requirements and helps keep the cost down. Also, Colgate notes that many homeowner's insurance policies give automatic watercraft liability coverage for boats under 26 feet. The beam of 8 feet, 6 inches is the maximum legal width for highway towing. Storing the boat on a trailer in your driveway is another way to lower the cost of sailing.

The details Practicality aside, the rest of the dimensions add to up to a fine sailing boat that can handle a breeze and keep moving in the lightest airs. The LWL of 20 feet is a bit deceptive, since the counter stern is carried far aft, creating a handy instructor's perch behind the tiller. Students feel secure in the cockpit with a seat-level, inboard transom supporting the rudder post and tiller, but beyond that an open stern allows for easy access onto the boat in case of a man-overboard emergency. The bow overhang is moderate, and the hull form features a flattish forefoot and firm bilges. The standard keel carries 1,050 pounds of ballast and translates into a draft of 4 feet, 6 inches. A shoal-draft option adds 200 pounds of ballast and slices off a foot of draft. The ballast-to-displacement ratio is 40 percent, which accounts for the 26's stiffness when sailing upwind, while the displacement-to-length ratio of 145 helps explain its exciting off-the-wind performance.

The hull is solid fiberglass, further demonstrating that practical considerations ruled the day. Any sailing school boat is going to receive a few nicks and scrapes along the way, and a solid hull is much easier to repair. Private owners also appreciate the durability of a solid glass hull. The hull and deck are joined on a flange, bonded chemically and through-bolted before being covered with a rubber bumper. The hull is beefed up in the bow, under the stanchion bases, around mast support area and in the bottom of the boat where the stainless steel keel bolts are attached. The deck is cored with Core-cell foam for rigidity. Positive foam flotation makes the 26 virtually unsinkable.

On deck Although the Colgate 26 is sometimes called a pocket cruiser, most sailors will use the boat for daysailing. The cockpit is well designed and accommodates four adults with ease. The mainsheet traveler runs across the inboard transom, allowing for efficient end-boom sheeting and keeps the cockpit clear. The mainsheet is double-ended, with the forward end leading to a cleat on a barney post on the sole, and the aft end leading to the traveler. This arrangement gives the instructor easy access to the sheet in case of emergencies; much like the passenger-side brake pedal in a driving school car.

The Harken No. 16 self-tailing sheet winches for the small, nonoverlapping roller-furling jib are set on the aft end of the cabintop. While this arrangement is ideal for teaching, it makes it more challenging to tack when singlehanded sailing. The stout wooden tiller is about the only piece of wood on the boat. A bracket for an outboard motor is mounted astern with a cockpit locker specifically designed for engine storage. The cockpit and lockers are self-draining, a vast improvement over the Soling.

The deck features a secure nonskid pattern and oversized, well-supported stanchions. Forward of the cockpit, the lifelines are conventional coated wire rope, terminating at a sensible pulpit that does not extend forward of the bow. Aft, the lifelines convert to solid stainless tubing, offering extra support when seated and a secure handhold when moving about the deck. The hardware is exclusively Harken, including the headsail furling system. The main, jib and spinnaker are by North Sails and are part of the standard package.

Down below The interior is small, but like the rest of the boat, it is well thought out. It would be fun to spend a weekend sailing and camping. The V-berths are 7 feet, 3 inches long, making them more than sleepable if the weather prohibits sleeping in the cockpit. A portable head, insulated ice chest, optional sink and alcohol stove make the boat more comfortable for weekend cruising. A VHF radio is standard equipment, and a soft solar panel designed to be left in the cockpit will keep the battery topped off when you're away from the boat. Once the cushions are removed the interior can be literally hosed down for quick and easy clean up.

Under way I was quite impressed with the 26's performance during a recent sail off Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico. While my wife and daughters attended Offshore Sailing School's weekend learn-to-sail course, instructor Christian Pschorr and I grabbed an empty boat and tacked out through Red Fish Pass. On the wind, the 26 points very high, and we tracked past an ugly shoal and into deep water.

The helm is very light, and even when the afternoon sea breeze finally piped up to a 12-to-15-knot range, it was fingertip control on the tiller. The cockpit offers good leg support, and the stainless railing really lends a sense of security when the boat heels. Falling off the wind, the boat accelerated as we gained sea room on a close reach.

The boat felt powerful in the water, but completely under control and quite stiff. The purchase on the mainsheet was more than adequate, and as my daughter later proved, the small headsail can be trimmed by child, even in a blow. The gulf was choppy, but the 26 sliced through the waves without pounding. The rubrail tended to deflect spray, keeping the cockpit surprisingly dry.

I manned the helm while Pschorr set up the spinnaker. The small chute really turbocharged the boat, and we zipped back toward the inlet, occasionally getting up on top of a wave. Pschorr, who is Offshore's Captiva Branch Director, told me that he is most impressed with how the boat performs in heavy air, noting that it really has a wind range of 5 to 35 knots. We made our way back through the pass and tacked our way up the narrow channel before easing the boat into the slip under sail.

The Colgate 26 is appeals on many levels. It's safe, affordable, easy to maintain and very handsome. However, its nimble and spirited performance is clearly its best feature.

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Class Contact Information

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Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Keelboat

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 378

Photo Credit:Colgate 26

Photo Credit: Colgate 26

About Colgate 26

Designed by Steve Colgate (founder/owner of Offshore Sailing School), and naval architect Jim Taylor. Unsinkable, safe and fast. Comfortable day sailor and racer. Designed for training with special area for instructor. Easy transition from keelboat to larger cruising yachts and racing sailboats. Offshore Sailing School offers Performance Sailing courses aboard Colgate 26 and an annual Performance Race Week in April, with North U. coaches.

Boats Produced: 378

Class boat builder(s):

Originally Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, FL. Currently Waterline Systems in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 365

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Midwest and East Coast of the U.S.

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? Yes

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  2-4

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  300-600 lb

Boat Designed in  1996

Length (feet/inches): 25’8″

Beam: 8’6″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 1500 lbs

Draft: 4’6″ or 3’6″

Mast Height: 34′

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About the Colgate 26

The Family Sport Boat, for day sailing, round-the-buoy racing, trailering and training. Designed by Steve Colgate and naval architect Jim Taylor, Colgate 26 has been the official training vessel of the US Naval and Coast Guard Academies. The Colgate 26 is also the “Navy 26”, used for the naval academy’s Colgate racing fleet. Steve insisted that the Colgate 26 meet Offshore Sailing School’s insurance requirements and recommendations. “Those criteria would meet or far exceed any established for an individual or fleet owner interested in buying this fun, fast, and safe boat,” he said. The Colgate 26 has been sailed by some of the top racers in the world.

Class Information:

Class Contact:  Steve Colgate     

Class Contact Email:   [email protected]      

Class Contact Phone:  239-985-7505  

Class Website:   colgate26.com       

Social Media:   Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Youtube   

Class Specs

LOA:  25 ft. 8 in.

LWL:  20 ft.

Beam:  8 ft. 6 in.

Draft:  4 ft. 6 in.

Weight:  2,600 lbs. 

The Colgate 26 fleet was in full use during Offshore Sailing School’s 20th Anniversary Performance Race Week with North U. coaches in April 2021.

Contact Offshore Sailing School at 888-454-7016, or email  [email protected] , for information on Performance Sailing certification courses, and future racing programs.

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Colgate 26 is a 25 ′ 7 ″ / 7.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Jim Taylor and built by Precision Boat Works starting in 1996.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Originally commissioned and developed by Steve and Doris Colgate for use at their sailing schools. A number have also been sold to US Coast Guard, US Navy, and Maine Maritime Academies for both instruction and intercollegiate competition. A shoal draft version is also available: Draft: 3.5’ Disp.: 2800 lbs. Bal.: 1250 lbs.

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The sailboat show in Annapolis runs Oct 10—14, 2019, and features over 130 sailboats, including the premiere of 30 models over 30 feet.

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The Colgate 26 is a 25.67ft fractional sloop designed by Jim Taylor and built in fiberglass by Precision Boat Works since 1996.

375 units have been built..

The Colgate 26 is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Colgate 26 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Sail on to a cleaner planet

German inventor Anton Flettner patented the idea of a rotor sail in 1922. A new improved version is back (” These 150-foot-high sails could help solve shipping’s climate problem,” Online, April 22). Currently, 39 barges have been retrofitted with these vertical sails. They save shipowners 10 percent to 20 percent in energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s innovation lies in the lightweight materials used in the sails and the AI technology controlling its performance. Now, if we could see what’s on board these ships, we might further diminish the cost of fuel and carbon by incentivizing sustainable products that have a low carbon footprint.

Shouldn’t we discourage the production and transport of products that significantly burden the environment during manufacturing or in their end use?

The engineers and ship owners who brought back this technology deserve our thanks. They not only made our ships more efficient but opened the door to rethinking the cargo.

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The Colgate 26 is used in all Learn to Sail, Performance Sailing and Racing courses. Designed by Steve Colgate and naval architect Jim Taylor, the Colgate 26 is a popular high performance keelboat, used to train plebes and cadets at the U.S. Naval and Coast Guard Academies, great for club racing and daysailing.  Read more…

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Toll-free US and Canada: 888.454.7015 Local and International: 239-454-1700

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Colgate-Palmolive: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

NEW YORK — NEW YORK — Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) on Friday reported first-quarter profit of $683 million.

The New York-based company said it had net income of 83 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 86 cents per share.

The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 82 cents per share.

The consumer products maker posted revenue of $5.07 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $4.95 billion.

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CL at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CL

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Colgate 26 Sailboats for Sale Price Packages

Complete sail-away colgate 26 package, everything on this page is included in the sail-away package, construction.

• White gel coat deck
• Molded non-skid on deck and cockpit
• Positive foam flotation
• Self-bailing cockpit
• Self-bailing port and starboard seat lockers
• Only companionway leads to interior
• Deck and hull bolted together, bonded with 5200
• Custom rubber bumper around hull and transom
• Lead Keel 1050 lbs. (std) 1250 lbs. (shoal)
• Keel bolted on with 8 1/2″ stainless bolts
• Cockpit locker for outboard gas tank
• Anodized aluminum mast
• Swept-back tapered spreaders
• Anodized aluminum boom

Standard Electrical

• Battery & battery box
• Wiring harness
• Electrical panel
• Interior light
• Solar panel

Sails That Come with the Boat

Standard interior.

• Two quarter berths
• Insulated ice chest
• Portable head
• Bulkheads and trim
• Compression post

Deck Hardware & Equipment

• Harken jib roller furling system
• Two Harken #20 self-tailing winches
• Two Titan floating lock-in winch handles
• Two jib tracks and cars
• Two twing line arrangements
• Spinnaker pole
• Single foreguy
• Spinnaker pole lift
• Five rope clutches for 3 halyards and two reef lines
• Two Harken cam cleats on port and starboard coamings for twing, and spinnaker sheet
• Three Harken cam cleats forward of companionway for pole lift, foreguy, outhaul
• Harken traveler and 4:1 mainsheet system
• Rigid stainless steel boom vang with cam cleat
• Adjustable backstay and cam cleats led forward
• Stainless steel bow pulpit, lifelines, stanchions and tubular cockpit railings
• Solar vent in companion way hatch
• Navigation side lights and stern lights on deck
• Masthead light & anchor light
• Two four-bolt bow cleats
• Two four-bolt stern cleats
• One stainless bow eye
• Cockpit bilge pump
• Tiller extension
• Windex Masthead fly
• Compass mounted on bulkhead
• Hinged mast step for easy rigging
• Companionway hatch boards, vertical and horizontal
• Outboard motor bracket

6338 Presidential Court, #201 Fort Myers, Florida 33919 +1.239.985-7505

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Vigil held for siblings killed in Monroe Co. boat club crash

Berlin Township — Just six days after a car plowed into a boat club in Monroe County, killing two children and injuring 13 others attending a birthday party in the club, a vigil was held to bring the community together and encourage healing.

Dozens huddled Friday evening in the parking lot outside the Swan Boat Club on Brancheau Street. As the crowd held candles, some speakers prayed and others read scriptures, standing on a makeshift stage attached to a pick-up truck. The vigil ended with attendees singing "Amazing Grace." 

The club is located about 200 yards from the home of a woman accused of driving under the influence and plowing her vehicle in the club's wall as the party was happening.

Two siblings — Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, of Flat Rock — were killed in the crash. At least 13 others were injured, including the Phillipses' older brother, J.P., and their mother, Mariah Dodds.

"It's hard to really put in perspective how to feel," said Michael Hatfield, the siblings' uncle. "Right now, it's an empty feeling."

Hatfield was one of several family members who attended the vigil, including Kathy Phillips, the siblings' grandmother, and Nicholas Phillips, another uncle.

Several supporters braved the chilling temperatures, with tear-stained faces, holding candles and embracing one another.

Hatfield said he and his relatives were "thinking we were celebrating life" on April 20, the day of the crash, and "we're celebrating a different kind of life."

Prosecutors have charged Marshella Chidester, 66, the boat club's former commodore, with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating under the influence of alcohol causing death and four counts of operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious injury. She was released on a $1.5 million bond on Thursday and is prohibited from driving or drinking while out on bond.

Hatfield said he and his five siblings felt that Chidester, who lives just a tenth of a mile from the boat club, should not be at home "enjoying her freedom, while we're about to start planning funerals," he said, adding that his hope is that justice is served for his niece and nephew.

Nicholas Phillips, Alanah and Zayn's uncle, encouraged the community to "stand strong" and "come together to show what this woman has done is not right."

"One glass of wine does not do that to you," Phillips said with tears in his eyes. "... The things this (incident) is putting our family through — most of us can't sleep at night, most of us still haven't eaten. How is that fair?" Phillips said.

Speaking at the vigil, state Rep. Jamie Thompson shared her own experience with tragedy, the loss of her 24-year-old daughter who was killed in a motorcycle accident three years ago.

"I got the knock on the door at 7 a.m. that she was gone," Thompson said. "... Everyone's loss is different, but I feel that the pain I wish could tell you that I don't know what it feels like."

Thompson urged those grieving to release their hate toward those responsible for their loved one's loss.

"The hate that you feel will suffocate you ... You have to release that pain and give it to God, and you, as a community, do not forget this family," Thompson said. 

Aside from the vigil, the boat club also plans to hold a spaghetti fundraiser on May 19 for the victims of the crash, along with first responders.

The boat club, meanwhile, remains closed.

[email protected]