Is this the most controversial sailboat?

The MacGregor 26 might be the most controversial sailboat ever built. Half sailboat. Half powerboat. Water ballast. A 50-horsepower outboard. Capable of sailing… and towing a water skier. For decades, sailors have loved to hate it, dismissed it, mocked it, and argued about whether it should even exist. And yet, thousands of them are still out there.

Tim Labute, Editor in Chief of Practical Sailor, takes a deep dive into the MacGregor 26 to find out why it became one of the most polarizing boats in sailing history. In this video, he looks at how it actually sails, how it performs under power, why its water ballast design makes traditional sailors uncomfortable, and what the boat gets right that almost everyone overlooks.

Is the MacGregor 26 a terrible sailboat? A brilliant compromise? Or a misunderstood boat that solved problems most sailors don’t want to admit they have?