Kelt 29 (Feeling 29)
Description
The Kelt 29 (also known as the Kelt 8.50 or later renamed the Feeling 29 in some markets) is a French fiberglass pocket cruiser designed by Gilles Vaton (with contributions from Patrick Roséo in some references) and built by Kelt Marine in France starting in 1983. It was constructed with solid fiberglass (GRP) for durability and low maintenance, featuring a fin keel with rudder on skeg for balanced handling and protection, a fractional sloop rig (with some deep-draft or lifting keel variants), and a spacious interior for its size—often praised as quick, close-winded, and offering generous accommodation (up to 6 berths in three areas, double forward/aft cabins, saloon settees, galley, and head) while remaining light and responsive. The design balances performance (excellent in light air) with comfort for coastal/family cruising or short offshore passages, though its light displacement can slow it in serious seas. Production was moderate (estimates around 1,200 hulls for the Feeling 29 variant, though Kelt-specific numbers are lower before the line evolved), with surviving examples still sailed and listed in Europe (e.g., UK, France) as affordable classics.
Construction Details
| Designer | Gilles Vaton |
|---|---|
| Builder | Kelt Marine (France) |
| Length | 29.000 ft |
| LOA | 27.880 ft |
| LWL | 24.750 ft |
| Beam | 10.170 ft |
| Displacement | 6394 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.300 ft |
| Year Built | 1983 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 34.80 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.30 ft |
| p | 33.50 ft |
| e | 9.90 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.80 ft | 10.30 ft | 33.50 ft | 9.90 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.9 ft - (3018 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.4 ft - (10485 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.6 ft - (10546 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 171.19 ft² |
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Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 29.03 ft - (8848 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.47 ft - (4106 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.52 ft - (7778 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.95 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.84 ft - (3609 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 171.86 ft² |
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Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.58 ft - (3834 mm) |
| Leech | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.9 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.32 ft - (3450 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.38 ° |
| Area | * 169.8 ft² |
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Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - GENOA
| Luff | * 34.48 ft - (10510 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.49 ft - (5026 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.58 ft - (9930 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.9 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.44 ft - (4706 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.07 ° |
| Area | * 266.18 ft² |
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Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 34.48 ft - (10510 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.72 ft - (9668 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 440 ft² |
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Kelt 29 (Feeling 29) - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 34.48 ft - (10510 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 18.54 ft - (5651 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.54 ft - (5651 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 543 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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