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Yachtsnet's archive of boat details and pictures
 

The following information and photographs are displayed as a service to anyone researching yacht types. HOWEVER THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD. Details and photographs are normally based on one specific yacht, but could be a compilation. No reliance should be placed on other yachts of the same class being identical.  Where common variations exist, we have endeavoured to indicate this in these archive details.

Twister

Brief Notes

Builder

mostly built by Uphams, Brixham, though other builders and home builders did complete Twisters

Twisters are one of the absolute classic long-keel cruisers, first built in wood in 1963. Although accommodation is modest, they are fast and seaworthy, as well as very pretty.

Length OA

28' 3" (GRP hulls) or
27' 9" (wooden hulls)

Sail Area

Several slight variations were made to rig. Uphams quoted 425 sq ft

Length WL

21' 6"

Rig

Sloop

Beam

8' 1"

Cabins

2

Draught

5' 0" (GRP hulls) or
5' 3" (wooden)

Berths

4 or 5

Displacement

9,968 lbs (GRP hulls) 9,856 lbs (wooden)

Engine type

various

Ballast

4,480 lbs (GRP hulls) 4,032 lbs (wooden)

Engine bhp

usually 6 - 10

Keel type

Long keel with cutaway forefoot

The Twister is a Kim Holman design from 1963, the first boat built, "Twister of Mersea", in traditional carvel wooden construction, proving phenomenally successful in offshore racing.

About 30 all-wood Twisters were built before the design was modified very slightly ( six inches more length, three inches less draught, and a slightly fuller bow ) for GRP hull construction by Tylers. In 1964 the first of these GRP composite boats were built, with timber coachroof and deck. In 1969 Tylers started moulding all-GRP Twisters.

The majority of the composite and earlier GRP Twisters were completed by Uphams of Brixham, though some hulls were sold to other builders and home completers. In the 1960s new composite Twisters sold for under £4,500, whilst by the late 1970s new all-GRP boats were around £20,000. Prices now depend very much on condition, particularly in the case of the earlier boats with timber coachroofs.


Twisters sail beautifully, and are still sought after as all-weather fast cruisers. Despite their moderately heavy displacement they sail surprisingly well in lighter winds. There have been a number of minor variations in rig height over the years, also a very few were buit with a significantly taller "Med rig".

Owners photo

Ashore

Yachts seen here are no longer for sale - the data is online as a free information service for buyers researching boat types. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD.

Go to our brokerage section for boats currently for sale

The Twister design can be found reborn in two larger yachts, the Rustler 31 and Rustler 36

The photos here are of several different yachts - including an all-GRP version, which was sadly lost in 2002, after breaking her moorings in a storm, an Uphams composite yacht, and a home-built composite version (with the very nicely finished all-varnished cockpit)

The interior layout is simple and practical for serious sea-going, with a large stand-up chart-table on the port side of the companionway. Opposite to starboard is the galley. There are two settee berths in the saloon, with a removable saloon table. The heads compartment separates saloon and forecabin, where there are two vee-berths. One some yachts there is actually a fifth berth, a quarterberth running back under the cockpit seats from the chart table, but access to this requires some agility!

Saloon
Saloon aft

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