The Ideal 18 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass. It has a fractionalsloop rig with aluminum spars and swept spreaders. The hull has a raked stem, a walk-through reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wooden tiller and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 1,240 lb (562 kg) and carries 700 lb (318 kg) of fibreglass-encased lead ballast. It has built-in flotation for safety.[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 3.25 ft (0.99 m) with the standard keel. The design has a hinged mast for ease of ground transport.[1]
For sailing the design is equipped with a roller furlingjib. The seating is on benches moulded into the cockpit sides. The boat has no winches and does not require them. The boat is a displacement, non-planing, design.[3]
The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 99.6 and is normally raced with a crew of two sailors, although the cockpit can accommodate four adults.[3]
Operational history
In a 1994 review, Richard Sherwood described the Ideal 18 as, "a strong little keelboat designed for club racing, with rigid rules, such as only one set of sails a year, and no hiking. The jib barely overlaps, is a decksweeper, is self-tacking, and has roller furling. (The roller furling gear is set below deck level.)"[3]
^ abcdMcArthur, Bruce (2020). "Ideal 18 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Bruce Kirby". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ abcdefSherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 88-89. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN0-395-65239-1
^McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Ontario Yachts". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Shumway Marine (USA)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^Shumway Marine (2020). "The Ideal Boat". shumwaymarine.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.