The Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 vs Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 comparison sits squarely in the category of decisions where specs alone won't tell the whole story — intended use, storage, and long-term ownership costs all factor in.
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 at 25,6 ft versus Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 at 28,1 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 tips the scales at 6 063 lbs — 2 646 lbs less than the Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 at 3 417 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 could be the deciding factor.
Displacement is where these two sailboats genuinely part ways. The Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 displaces 6 063 lbs — a 2 646-lb difference over the Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 at 3 417 lbs. That gap separates two entirely different categories of sailing: the heavier boat is built for offshore passage-making and load-carrying, while the lighter hull rewards performance sailing and easier handling in lighter air.
Draft is a practical consideration that many buyers underestimate until they're already at the marina. The Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 draws 5,4 ft, compared to 4,1 ft for the Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995. That 1,3-foot difference affects which anchorages you can access, which haul-out facilities will take you, and how carefully you need to read the tide tables in shallower cruising grounds.
The Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 uses Sloop rigging.
The Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 is trailerable, giving it a significant lifestyle advantage for sailors who want to move between lakes, rivers, and coastal waters without committing to a marina slip. Hull speed is rated at 6,6 knots for the Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 and 6,0 knots for the Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995.
Bottom line: The Etap Yachts Etap 28i - Fin keel Fin keel 1987 is the offshore and bluewater choice — at 6 063 lbs displacement and 28 ft it has the load capacity, range, and seakeeping for extended passages. The Etap Yachts Etap 23iL - Lifting Keel Lifting Keel 1995 at 3 417 lbs is the more nimble, accessible option and is trailerable — easier to single-hand and better suited to coastal and inland sailing.