With the 50 hp outboard, the 26 will go about 22 mph. It will easily pull a water-skier. This adds one more bit of fun to the voyage. It will actually pull most waterskiing adults at high enough speeds to create some real excitement. (Forget about pulling a crowd.)

The MacGregor 26 is a really good powerboat. At high speed, it has a remarkably comfortable, stable ride. The very sharp entry slices thru waves efficiently. It is highly maneuverable, and only a light touch on the wheel is required to hold a perfect course or to make sharp turns.

Top speed is obtained with an empty ballast tank, no rigging, and one person aboard. With a full ballast tank, it will be about 3 mph slower than with an empty tank.

Most sailboats have curved bottoms. This creates downward suction as speed increases, preventing them from getting up on top of the water and planing at high speed. Few will go more than 6 or 7 mph. The 26’s flat straight bottom allows it to skim across the top of the water with minimum resistance, and without hurting its sailing performance. Also, the boat’s light weight is a big factor in its ability to go so fast.

We limited the engine size to 50 hp for a number of reasons: An electric start 50 hp motor provides lots of speed, yet it is light enough so that sailing performance is not compromised. It is about the largest engine that can be started by hand, a nice feature if your battery goes dead. It is also about the largest engine you can pick up and move around. Try getting a 100 hp engine off the boat and to a repair shop. Also, the heavier, higher horsepower engines really eat up gas.

There are storage hatches in the cockpit that will hold 2 standard 12 gallon fuel tanks. For safety, these compartments are completely isolated from the interior of the boat.

If you are not interested in high speed powering, the boat performs well with a 5 or 10 hp engine.

Even if you are only interested in sail, you might consider this. Many areas have those wonderful sailing spots that are just out of reach! Here in Southern California a favorite spot is Catalina, an island about 25 miles off the coast. Getting there and back has always taken most of a weekend. You can be sure that sailors will use the dual nature of the 26 to shorten the distance. After a short, fast commute across the channel in their power cruiser, they can spend the weekend sailing from cove to cove and anchoring for the night. Maybe they will even stay Sunday night and speed back at dawn on Monday. You can't do that in a conventional sailboat. If you have a favored place that is just out of reach for a conventional sailboat, consider the 26.