Sailing Yachts


A sailing yacht is considered to be a craft for leisure activities, which uses sails as its primary way of getting around. These types of yachts are actively used for sport, and are seen by the ‘International Sailing Federation’ as a having categories of different classes. Anyone who is anticipating the purchase of a sailing yacht should first learn what the different types have to offer. The kind of experience one can receive greatly depends on the type of yacht purchased. Below is a reference of the basic terms associated with the yacht industry.


Categories by Length


There are many different categories of yachts, which can be easily recognized by their overall length. If the sailing yacht is intended for a great number of people, keep in mind that the larger the yacht is the safer it is going to be to hold that many. Sailing yachts come in overall lengths ranging from approximately 6m (20 ft.) to more than 30m (98 ft.), which, at this size a yacht and a ship become hard to tell apart. Many of the privately owned yachts will be in the range of 7m (23 ft.) to 14m (46 ft.). Keep in mind that the larger a yacht is the higher the maintenance is going to be.


Combination Sailing Yachts


Sailors in the US have a tendency to call small yachts, sailboats, and refer to sailing as yachting in reference to the sport of sailing. A lot of the sailing yachts today will also be equipped with an internal-combustion engine, which is used in calmer water conditions and also during the time of entering and leaving anchorages that are found to be difficult.


  • Anything short of 7m (23 ft.) overall length will generally have an outboard motor that runs off petrol having between 3.5 and 30kw (5 to 40hp).


  • Those that are larger in size will have an in-board diesel engine having 15 to 75kw (20 to 101hp), depending on its overall length.


  • The larger size yachts are the Mega yachts; this type of yacht refers to a yacht more than 50m (164 ft.) in overall length.


As you can tell, there are many different kinds of yachts, with various categories. The experience you have will depend on the kind of yacht that you decide on. So, if you are wanting to sail the seas in exploration, you will want a yacht designed for longer trips. However, if you are just wanting to have a romantic getaway, a smaller sailing yacht may be preferred. Although, if you are wanting your adrenaline going, you may want a combination sailing yacht with a strong motor to have the best of both worlds.


When purchasing a sailing yacht, keep in mind that they also provide motors for the smaller yachts. Motors can come in handy for many different situations, especially those where you are in calmer water and lack the air flow to move.

Paradiso Yacht Charters

670 Lido Park Drive, Newport Beach, CA
(714) 404-0806