Sage 17 vs Rhodes 22

A Round 1 Mini-Cruiser Madness Match-up

In this final matchup of Round 1, the newer Jerry Montgomery-designed Sage 17 faces the cult classic cruiser Rhodes 22. Only one boat can advance.

It would be hard to improve on the classic Lyle Hess-designed Montgomery 17 (or the Montgomery 15), but only a few years back that’s exactly what Jerry Montgomery and Sage Marine set out to do. Whether they succeeded is a matter of opinion, but we’re fans of both designs.

Sage 17 sailing and interior photos Debra ColvinWe wrote: After thirty years of learning and experience, what would Jerry do differently this time around?

“We all agreed that we wanted a modern design that would be the ‘best’ of its type available, rather than a ‘price point’ boat,” says Sal Glesser, “And we agreed that it must be seaworthy, safe, quick, light for easy trailering, and sailor friendly. We wanted a boat that towed like a 15-footer, sailed like a 20-footer, and provided confidence, comfort and pleasure in any condition.” The initial target for the nascent Sage Marine was a 16-footer.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has read Jerry’s columns, or seen the results of races he’s entered, that speed and performance were atop his list of goals throughout the design process. …The resultant lapstraked Sage looked, well, remarkably like the Montgomery 15 and 17, making comparisons inevitable.

On performance: We sailed with both working jib (92%) and genoa (150%) and were pleased with performance on all points. In part because sheets for the lapper and smaller headsails lead inside the shrouds, performance to weather was sparkling. The helm was responsive and perfectly neutral. The high-aspect rig carries 152 sq ft of sail, which pushes her up into the “racer” category in terms of her SA/Displ ratio (20.42). (Compare M-17 at 154 sq ft on 1600 lb displacement for an 18.01 ratio).