young 88 yacht

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• Sailboat Guide

Young 88 is a 29 ′ 3 ″ / 8.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Jim Young and built by Roger Land Yachts/Jim Young Marine Ltd. (NZ) starting in 1981.

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)

Competitive one-design class in New Zealand.

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Welcome to the Young 88 - 

One design does it all.

The success of the Young 88 keel boat is down to Jim Young's fantastic design offering a fast and safe racer / cruiser coupled with Roger Land's innovative boat building and marketing.

Over 150 boats have been built since the 80s with active racing fleets in many Australian and New Zealand sailing centres.  

A strong owners' association perpetuates this success, managing an annual program of racing and social events and a tightly controlled set of one design rules. This keeps the boats on the same playing field, affordable fun and safe. 

If you’re looking to explore the great outdoors and life on the water  join the Young 88 family today

You can also contact us for more information

Upcoming events

Latest news.

Review of Young 88

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The boat equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

The Young 88 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.75 - 1.85 meter (5.74 - 6.04 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Young 88 is 2.40, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.9 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Young 88 is about 177 kg/cm, alternatively 992 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 177 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 992 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 30m 2 (322 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Young 88 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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The Young 88 Sailboat

Designed and built by Jim Young Marine Ltd in New Zealand, the Young 88 is a cruiser/racer yacht as well as a family boat.

There is an active Young 88 class racing series and it has recently been announced that a two-handed mixed offshore keelboat event has been added to the programme for the 2024 Paris Olympics - it's something the Young 88 class association have embraced. 

Published Specification for the Young 88

Underwater Configuration:  Fin keel with spade rudder

Hull Material:   GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall:  29' 4" / 8.94m

Waterline Length:  26' 4" / 8.02m

Beam:  0' 10" / 3.30m

Draft:  5' 9" / 1.75m

Rig Type:  Fractional Sloop

Displacement:  5,843lb / 2,650kg

Designer:  Jim Young

Builder:  Jim Young Marine Ltd (NZ)

Year First Built:  1981

Published Design Ratios for the Young 88

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 19.0

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 38.0

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

Displacement/Length Ratio: 143

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

Comfort Ratio: 13.9

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

Capsize Screening Formula:   2.4

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

read more about these all-revealing numbers...

Sailboat-Cruising.com says...

The Young 88 is a fiberglass sailboat that was designed by Jim Young in 1981. Young was a renowned New Zealand yacht designer and sailor who had won several national and international championships. He wanted to create a boat that was fast, easy and affordable for the average sailor. He based his design on the successful Young 780, but made it bigger and better.

The Young 88 can carry up to 450 square feet (41.81 square meters) of sail area on its fractional rig, which consists of a mainsail, a genoa and a spinnaker. It can also be fitted with a masthead rig, which has a larger genoa and spinnaker.

The Young 88 has a roomy cockpit that can accommodate up to eight people. It also has a comfortable cabin that can sleep up to six people. The cabin has a galley, a head, a dinette and plenty of storage space. The interior layout can vary depending on the builder's preference, but it usually follows the original design by Young.

What are the strengths of the Young 88?

One of the main strengths of the Young 88 is its speed. It has a high aspect ratio rig that gives it excellent windward performance. It has a deep fin keel that provides stability and lift. It has a light displacement that increases its power and acceleration.

Another strength of the Young 88 is its comfort. It has a wide beam that gives it plenty of room inside and outside. The cockpit is large enough for sailing and socializing. The cabin is cozy enough for living and sleeping. The boat can carry enough supplies and equipment for short or long voyages.

A third strength of the Young 88 is its fun factor. It has a responsive helm that makes it easy to steer and maneuver. It has a spinnaker that adds excitement and challenge to downwind sailing. It has a lively personality that makes it enjoyable to sail in most conditions.

What are the weaknesses of the Young 88?

One of the main weaknesses of the Young 88 is its maintenance. It requires regular attention and care to keep it in good shape and performance. It can suffer from osmosis, delamination or cracking in the fiberglass hull or deck. It can also have problems with the rigging, hardware or systems.

Another weakness of the Young 88 is its versatility. It is designed for racing or cruising, but not both at the same time. It can be hard to balance between speed and comfort, or between performance and safety. It can also be difficult to adapt to different sailing conditions or preferences.

A third weakness of the Young 88 is its availability. It is not mass-produced by a major manufacturer, but rather custom-built by individual builders or owners. It is not easy to find on the market, especially in good condition and at a reasonable price. It is not well-known or popular among the sailing community, especially outside New Zealand.

What are the limitations of the Young 88?

One of the main limitations of the Young 88 is its light wind performance. It has a low sail area to displacement ratio that reduces its power and acceleration. It has a heavy keel that requires more wind to move. It has a fractional rig that is less efficient and aerodynamic than a masthead rig.

Another limitation of the Young 88 is its offshore capability. It does not have a self-righting hull that can recover quickly from a knockdown or capsize. It does not have a watertight bulkhead that can isolate a leak or a collision.

A third limitation of the Young 88 is its suitability. It is designed for experienced or adventurous sailors, but not for beginners or cautious sailors. It is suitable for inshore or coastal sailing, but not for ocean or bluewater sailing. It is suitable for racing or cruising, but not for fishing or diving.

Why should you choose the Young 88?

Despite its weaknesses and limitations, the Young 88 is still a great sailboat for the recreational sailor and the sailing enthusiast. It is a boat that offers speed, comfort and fun in a simple and affordable package. It is a boat that can take you on thrilling races, relaxing cruises or festive parties. It is a boat that can give you joy, satisfaction and pride.

If you are looking for a sailboat that has character, history and charm, you might want to choose the Young 88. This popular design has been around for over 40 years, but it still has a lot to offer to the modern sailor. Whether you want to race, cruise or party, the Young 88 can be your flexible and enjoyable companion.

This additional info was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material and believes it to be accurate to the best of their knowledge.

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Tickled Pink: The First Young 88 Yacht

Jim young/roger land.

Boat Designer/Builder

29 ft / 8.9 m

The young 88.

Depending on your perspective Tickled Pink is the first Young88 boat to be designed and built. The Young88 was designed by Jim Young and marketed and built by Roger Land.  This partnership was so prolific that over 150 Young 88 boats have been built and a owners association exists to manage the design, race meets and social outings.  With its dinghy-like hull and open transom the Young 88 was ideal for racing and cruising.

The story goes that in 1980 Russell and Sue Satherwaite wanted a Jim Young designed boat that could work as both a family cruiser and in races.  With a brother, Greg Elliott, capable of building the boat as well as designing and building the cabin interior and exterior for them the plan was set and the boat was launched two years later.

The Satherwaites however, were not the only people wanting a yacht made for cruising and racing.  At the same time Greg Elliot was planning to build Tickled Pink, Roger Land and Owen Lockerbie were also wanting a cruiser/racer around 8 metres long.  So over a bottle of rum, they made a plan to make a mould from the boat Greg Elliot was to build.  With this mould they planned to make around five boats so they could sell four and keep one for themselves. 

Before they did this though they convinced the Satherwaites to push the length out to 8.9 metres and change the shape of the transom and bow slightly.  Jim Young designed a cabin and interior, Terry Cookson was contracted to build the moulds and Roger Lands business brought Jim Young’s plans.  To cover the costs of the moulds they needed to sell ten boats but with 6 orders in place before building started they looked good to cover the costs. As history shows they were onto a winner and they soon scaled up production.  

So the honour of the first Young 88 becomes debatable. Is it Tickled Pink, the boat that started this whole endeavour or Paddy Wagon (launched in December 1981) built by Lands business and the first Young 88 to touch water? Maybe its a matter of interpretation.

As of January 2023 Tickled Pink is owned by Neil Hilder and Monique Pearce.

To research Tickled Pink we used the websites below and Jim Young’s memoir Jim Young: Designer, Boatbuilder, Sailor yachtingnz.org , boatingnz.co.nz and young88.org.nz .

Related Posts

Fiery Cross – Jim Young’s innovative canting keel yacht

Positive Touch – The first Rocket 31 yacht designed by Jim Young

Heatwave – Designed and raced by Jim Young, Heatwave, competed in One Ton Cup races globally

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The Young 88 is a 29.33ft fractional sloop designed by Jim Young and built in fiberglass since 1981.

158 units have been built..

The Young 88 is a light sailboat which is a good performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a very short water supply range.

Young 88 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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