The Sovereign 17 is an American trailerable

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

that was designed by the Sovereign Design Group as a daysailer and

pocket cruiser A pocket cruiser is a sailboat designed for recreational Cruising (maritime), cruising and club racing, under in length. Like the similar and usually smaller trailer sailer, they have design features such as light weight and short Sailing ball ...

and first built in 1980. It was sold under a variety of names, including the Sovereign 18, Sovereign 5.0, Sovereign 5M and Adventurer 17.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 61.

International Marine McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...

McGraw-Hill McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...

, 2010. The

Antares 17 The Antares 17 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed as a daysailer and pocket cruiser and first built in 1987. The Antares 17 is a development of the Sovereign 17, with a new deck design. Production The design was built by ...

is a development of the Sovereign 17, with a new deck design.

Production

The design was built by Sovereign Yachts, a division of Custom Fiberglass Products, in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, starting in 1980, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Sovereign 17 is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig; a spooned,

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

; an angled transom; a transom-hung

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn ...

and a fixed shoal draft fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel and is normally fitted with a small

outboard motor An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...

for docking and maneuvering. The design has sleeping accommodation for three people, with a small double

"V"-berth A sleeping 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, ...

in the bow and a straight

quarter berth A sleeping 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, ...

aft. The

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

is located on the starboard 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 i ...

ladder. The galley is L-shaped and is equipped with a sink. 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 ani ...

is located just aft of the bow bunk on the port side. Cabin headroom is . The design has a

hull speed Hull speed or displacement speed is the speed at which the wavelength of a vessel's bow wave is equal to the waterline length of the vessel. As boat speed increases from rest, the wavelength of the bow wave increases, and usually its crest-to- ...

of .

Operational history

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "Best features: Shallow draft is good for exploring shoal waters. She's trailerable (approximate towing weight is just under 2,000 lbs.), and short enough to fit into a standard sized garage. Self-bailing cockpit is deep and comfortable. Worst features: The Sovereign 5.0's V-berth has less than six feet of usable length because of its narrow foot end—good for small kids but not adults. There's only one quarter berth in most versions, so we suppose that makes her a boat for single moms or dads. Her rig is undersized for winds below about eight knots, so she'll need a small outboard to get her home in most typical harbor conditions. When the wind does pipe up, she will slide off considerably on close reaches and beats to windward due to her very shallow keel and absence of a centerboard. The shorter

Capri 16 The Capri 16, also called the Catalina 16, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Frank W. Butler as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1987.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 24. Interna ...

, a comp titor could sail rings around her."

References

{{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide Keelboats 1980s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Trailer sailers Sailboat type designs by Sovereign Design Group Sailboat types built by Sovereign Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References