Tanzer 7.5

The Tanzer 7.5 is a Canadian trailerable sailboat, that was designed by Johann Tanzer and first built in 1977. The design went out of production in 1985.

Production
The boat was built by Tanzer Industries Limited in Dorion, Quebec and 790 were constructed.

Design
The Tanzer 7.5 is a small recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a transom-hung rudder and a fixed fin keel, with an optional shoal draft keel. The standard fin keel version displaces 3800 lb and carries 1600 lb of ballast. A self-tacking jib on a boom was a factory option.

The boat is normally fitted with a small 4 to 8 hp outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.

The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin around a folding table. The galley is located on both sides just aft of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with an ice box and a sink to starboard, with a two-burner stove to port. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. Cabin headroom is 68 in.

The shoal draft version of the boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 228 with a high of 237 and low of 207, while the fin keel model has a PHRF of 201. It has a hull speed of 6.26 kn.

Operational history
In a review Michael McGoldrick wrote, "Down below, the 7.5 has a nicely laid out interior which features two full length settees on both sides of the cabin (unlike the Tanzer 26s which were built after 1979, which have a truncated settee on the starboard side of the cabin). Headroom in the Tanzer 7.5 is getting tight for anyone over 5' 9", and the v-berth only was enough space to sleep one adult or two children. One of the settees in the main cabin converts into a double to provide place to sleep a fourth adult...The Tanzer 7.5 would be a good choice for a small family or a couple who aren't too tall, and are looking for an easy handling boat."

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "designer/builder Johann Tanzer tried to put together a Boat for All Sailors. He started with a sleek hull with choice of fin keel ... for those who want more performance or shoal draft ... for those who sail in shallow-water areas. Then he took the unusual step of adding a self-tacking jib on a jib-boom, making the boat much easier to singlehand upwind, and offering some appeal to the family learning to sail, who might be bothered by 'all those strings to pull,' while also offering a conventional array of other foresails for better performance under specific conditions of wind and sea. Tanzer also tried to maximize space below by using a raised-deck configuration with a bubble-like cabin added on top, giving increased headroom as well as more storage space ... Best features: Tanzer succeeded in most of the design ideas he tried to incorporate. Worst features: the shoal draft model doesn't do well upwind compared to conventional craft; adding a centerboard would have made her better."

Variants

 * Tanzer 7.5
 * Conventional fin keel-equipped model, with 3800 lb displacement, 1600 lb of ballast and a draft of 4.00 ft.


 * Tanzer 7.5 SD
 * Shoal draft keel-equipped model, with 4150 lb displacement, 1950 lb of ballast and a draft of 2.67 ft.