Stewart was impressed with the build quality, which was apparent in every corner of the boat. "All the bolts and attachments were trimmed very nicely, not like someone took vise grips and wagged [the bolt] back and forth until it broke off," he said. "They're all ground down flush. The quality of all the hardware was great and the lifting keel works well. It was amazing how much stuff they had on that boat. You go down below and it had the big cabin. Back aft the freeboard is high which increases volume and helps the seat backs and cockpit coamings not stick out. That all worked well, and they're very serious about this boat. They have 45 molds and jigs to build the boat, that's a huge commitment."

Holby, a dedicated single- and doublehanded sailor sees the Andrews 28 as more than just a buoy racer. "I can see doing short distance racing, like the Edlu, Stratford Shoals, shorter point-to-point, even the Solo Twin," he said. "It sails very well, and would be a fun, comfortable boat to distance race with. It's versatile, there are a lot of things you can do with that boat and the price is right. The A-sail fit perfectly; just a great, big chute."

Both the hull and deck are built on female molds, and vacuum-infused. It's a vinylester resin and E-glass sandwich with PVC closed-cell foam. Local reinforcing with additional glass and high-density foam is used where deck hardware is installed, and a high-quality white gel coat in combination with vinylester resin provides resistance to blistering.

The Andrews 28 has a deck-stepped, carbon-fiber, swept-spreader rig that's set up for either masthead or fractional spinnakers. The 7-foot keel, which can be raised for easy launching, is a stainless steel strut with an E-glass shell and epoxy filler, with a lead bulb attached to a bottom plate.

The kelp cutter is optional. The keel fin is securely held in the keel trunk-which is an integral part of the hull reinforcement-with urethane plastic guide blocks and a positive locking mechanism.

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Pros: A slippery hull shape with a perfect interior for weekend excursions and overnight races.

Cons: The builder should've listened to the designer and added a window that would lessen the visual impact of the high deckhouse.

Designer's mission accomplished?
Without a doubt. Alan Andrews was asked to design a boat that balanced, without compromise, a lightweight, performance raceboat with a comfortable interior.

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Andrews 28 Specs
LOA: 28'
Beam: 9'10"
Draft: 7'
DSPL: 3,750
SA (u/d): 494/1,220 sq. ft.
Designer: Alan Andrews
Price: $97,000
www.sylvanayachts.com.com

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