Achilles 24 Yacht / Sailboat

Achilles 24

The Achilles 24 yacht was designed in the late 1960s by Oliver Lee, and between then and the mid 1980s 600 were made, illustrating the boat’s popularity. It was designed as a cruising variant of Lee’s Ajax racing keelboat, and it is a fast and seaworthy yacht. There is comfortable room for two, with the possibility of housing four, but this would be in very close proximity.

Two versions of the Achilles 24 yacht were built, the fin keel, which has a draught of 3’9”, and the triple-keeled version which has a shallower draught but slightly higher ballast weight. The fin-keel’s advantage is in its speed, but the triple-keeled version can dry out upright, an advantage many see as outweighing the slight discrepancy in the two versions’ top speeds.

The Achilles 24 yacht is British built made using fine quality materials. It is possible to sail the Achilles 24 single-handed, and the boats can reach high speeds downwind and will still perform steadily upwind. The boat can be compete in ocean races and is safe and responsive the only downside is the lack of interior space.

The Achilles 24’s size means it is an ideal starter boat or a first racer. Many previous Achilles 24 owners sell her to buy a boat with greater interior area, not because of her performance which has generally very positive reviews.

Comments

A very fair description of the yachts sailing ability and accommodation. They are relatively cheap to maintain and hold their (relatively low) value well.