The S2 7.9, originally called the Grand Slam 7.9, is an American sailboat that was designed by Graham & Schlageter as a one-design and Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) racer-

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

and first built in 1979. The designation indicates the

length overall __NOTOC__ Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, an ...

in meters.

Production

The design was built by

S2 Yachts S2 Yachts is an American boat builder based in Holland, Michigan. From 1974 until 1989 the company specialized in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats and it continues as a builder of motorboats. The company was founded by Leon S ...

in Holland, Michigan, United States, but it is now out of production. In 1989 the company was asked by the ''S2 7.9 Class Association'' if the design could be put back into limited production and the company agreed, but with a minimum order of ten boats for production to be restarted. The association and the S2 dealership network tried to come up with the ten orders, but was unable to do so at that time. ''Practical Sailor'' magazine termed this incident, "an unfortunate commentary on the sailboat industry" and noted it marked the end of sailboat production for the company. A few more boats were built by S2's Tiara division in 1990 and 1994.

Design

The S2 7.9 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of hand laid fiberglass with an end-grain balsa core, with wood trim. All models have a raked stem, a plumb

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

and a transom-hung, pivoting rudder controlled by a tiller. The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. A German BMW

inboard An inboard motor is a marine propulsion system for boats. As opposed to an outboard motor where an engine is mounted outside the hull of the craft, an ''inboard motor'' is an engine enclosed within the hull of the boat, usually connected to a ...

diesel engine of was a factory option plus a few were factory-equipped with Yanmar diesels. The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double

"V"-berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

in the bow cabin, and two straight settee

quarter berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

s in the main cabin. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located on the port side just forward of the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...

ladder. The galley is on the port side, is "minimal" and is equipped with an icebox and a sink, but no stove. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is located next to the keel trunk on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is . For sailing the design is equipped with a 155% genoa or a 105% jib. For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical

spinnaker A spinnaker is a sail designed specifically for sailing off the wind on courses between a reach (wind at 90° to the course) to downwind (course in the same direction as the wind). Spinnakers are constructed of lightweight fabric, usually n ...

. The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 168 and a hull speed of . With a beam of the boat is not legally trailerable in most North American jurisdictions.

Variants

;S2 7.9 FK :This fixed keel model, with a masthead sloop rig, was introduced in 1979 and produced until 1986, but only 17 boats were built. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel. ;S2 7.9 :This

lifting keel A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

model, with a fractional

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

rig, was introduced in 1981, produced until 1986 and 545 boats were constructed. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. One third of the ballast is in the keel and the balance fiberglassed into the hull. The boat has a draft of with the lifting keel down and with the keel up.

Operational history

The design is supported by a class club, the ''S2 7.9 Class Association'', which organizes races including a national championship and also regulates the design to maintain its one-design status for racing. In a 2000 review Darrell Nicholson wrote in ''Practical Sailor'', "S2 did a good job of aiming the boat at a variety of sailors: racers, daysailors, and weekenders. For racers interested in a one-design boat, the class is not strong outside the Great Lakes. But for the sailor into handicap racing, the boat seems a good possibility. It’s definitely competitive in MORC and PHRF fleets. And unlike other high-performance boats its size—the

Olson 25 The Olson 25 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by George Olson as a one design and Midget Ocean Racing Club racer- cruiser and first built in 1984.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 3 ...

J/24 The J/24 is an international One-Design and Midget Ocean Racing Club trailerable keelboat class built by J/Boats and defined by World Sailing. The J/24 was created to fulfill the diverse needs of recreational sailors such as cruising, one d ...

Merit 25 The Merit 25 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Paul Yates as a Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) racer and first built in 1978.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 16 ...

, Evelyn 26, or Capri 25 — the 7.9 is a boat you could stand sleeping aboard or taking on a rainy overnight race." Brook Berth wrote in ''Sailing Magazine'', "the S2 7.9 is a nicely designed, well-built one-design racer that can be cruised on short trips." Jack Hornor wrote in ''The SpinSheet'', "the S2 7.9 provides exhilarating sailing performance and has the added benefit of sufficient accommodations to make occasional weekend cruises or overnight races tolerable at least. " A ''Sailing World'' review called the boat an "eminently sailable family cruiser-racer."

References

{{S2 Yachts Keelboats 1970s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Trailer sailers Sailboat type designs by Graham & Schlageter Sailboat types built by S2 Yachts

Production

Design

Variants

Operational history

See also

References