The Achilles 9 metre.

The first part of this page is an abstract of a longer piece about the A9m and "Sancerre" to be found here: SV Sancerre, About the A9m. The blog also has descriptions of the Sancerre's cruises - c 14,000 solo miles in 6 seasons through 2023 including two round GB trips and a Jester Challenge.

Click here for the sail number register.

Principal Dimensions.

	Feet	Metres
Length Over All (LOA)	29' 10"	9.11
Waterline Length (LWL)	25' 5"	7.75
Beam	9'	2.75
Draft	5' 6"	1.67
	Lb	Kg
Designed Displacement	7,000	3,175
Keel ballast	3,000	1,362

The theoretical hull speed is 6.81 knots and for the traditionalist, she measures at 9 Tons Thames Measurement.

The Capsize Screening Number is 1.82 (CCoA "Capsize project formula", Olin Stephens et al., following the Fastnet Disaster in 1979) a number less than 2 is considered appropriate for serious offshore sailing although modern designs are often well above this number and manage OK.

Rig.

	Principle Rig Measurements	Feet	Metres
I	Jib halyard sheave to toe rail	35.03	10.68
J	Mast to forestay pin.	11.34	3.46
P	Max mainsail Luff	30.93	9.43
E	Max mainsail foot	9.24	2.82
FSL	Forestay Length	36.9	11.3

Original spec: 1x19 stainless wire:

Cap shrouds, forestay & backstay 7mm.
Lowers 6mm.

Sails

Data from a 1977 brochure or calculated from it (e & oe!)

	Square feet	Square Metres	Sancerre Sq m
Mainsail	143	13.3	13.3
No 1 Genoa (150%)	313	29.1	c 29
No 2 Genoa (replaced by #1)	247	22.9	c 20
No 1 Jib	174	16.2	n/a
No 2 Jib	62	5.8	n/a
Spinnaker (Theoretical max calculated by Kemp Sails)	732	68	60
Spinnaker (Original "floater" option)	624	58	60
Cruising Shute	n/a	n/a	c 45
Heavy weather jib (max under World Sailings Offshore Special Regulations)	165	15.4	12.1
Storm jib (max under World Sailings Offshore Special Regulations)	61.4	5.7	5.7
Tri-sail (max under the special regs	50	4.65	n/a

A9m, "Freebird", A011 in Baltimore harbour
2019. Photo: John Lashbrook.

"Tranquillity", A059, a triple keel variant. Photo Mike Atkins.

Original Brochures and Sales info.

Images can be enlarged by clicking on them, on a large screen or by zooming they should be readable, if not they can be downloaded (right click) and viewed or printed using other tools.

Pre Production Sales Brochure 1975/5

Be aware that the spec changed, certainly before the 77 Brochure below and probably after Chris Butler completed the 75 AZAB and / or the 76 OSTAR. For instance the rigging wire was increased in size, the 2 stroke Dolphin engine was dropped in favour of a Yanmar 1GM and the Navel pipe to store chain in the bilge was not fitted.

The displacement is shown as 6,000 Lb in 75 but 7,000 Lb in 1977. I assume he got the weight calculations wrong (an engine change would be far less than this) as the draft also increased by 3".

Original curtesy of Conor McCarthy,