Actually of the Primrose designs only the 29 was made with bilge keels and although a bilge keel 33 and 36 were listed I don't think many if any were actually made. Never seen one for sale. The next generation of Bill Dixon designed boats had bilge keel options that were very popular - 27, 28, 31 and 34, 346
Seawolf is wide with good deck space and internal space. Designed as racer/cruiser and works well in both roles. Mine is twin keel and - when I do bother to race it - it does well. Rig the same size as a Fulmar, so very good light weather performance.
There is just a huge range potentially available. Forget the French - as you say the few that are made are more modern and not seen in the UK. you are looking at 1960-80s British boat up to 35' or so which will get you just about all of the Westerlys up to 34', the Bill Dixon designed Moodys, all Cobras/Seawolfs, Colvics in various sizes up to 36', Sadler 26 and 29, UK Hunters up to 32'. Many more smaller less well known designs that I have forgotten but might pop up into my mind later. Some, particularly the earlier designs are older style (comparatively) heavier boats like the Westerly 31 and 33 hulls available in a wide range of rig/keel/cabin configurations but later ones like the Moodys, Sadlers, 1980s Westerlys and Hunters are more modern with better sailing performance. Anything 28' and above would fit your basic requirements, which are exactly what most of them were designed for in period.
What earth is an IYSWIM?
I was expecting to be told two keels must mean two hulls or at least two masts.Isn't it odd how the Op asks for details of bilge keel boats & forumites go on to tell him that he never wanted bilge keel in the first place, so here is a lifting keel design.( yes I know about #4)
It was only 4 posts before a singe keel cropped up. So I suspect that it will not be long before someone suggests a fin keeler- well they do sail better
Leisure didn’t make a 28, but they did make the 27 in fin keel and bilge keel versions. There is also a 29, which is effectively the same boat with an extra 2 feet in the cockpit. There weren’t that many 29s built but most of them were bilge keeled. The same moulds were later used to produce the Lynx 29.
HH27 TK is a more open layout, larger version my my HH23
I looked at a HH272 the other week, it felt a lot more like a 26’ with a sugar scoop extension than a 27’. It didn’t have much more volume than my 24’ after considering it was very much open plan to maximise what it did have. Most had self taking jibs too, which put me off.
Thanks.
That is the later Seawolf. Most have the traditional pilot berth.
The Horizon 27 is pretty much exactly a 26 with stern extended over the rudder.
I thought it was a 28 but I checked & a friend of mine says he has the 27. He has cruised round the top of the UK and to Brest, from the east coast, plus up the Dutch canals. Like all bilge keelers it suffers a bit in chop to windward. On a recent cruise to the Solent for 14 days he only used the engine to get into ports. His average sailing speed was 5.5kts which I think is a good average for a 27ft bilge keeler. Some of the weather was a good F7+ He has it loaded with cruising gear, often sails SH but sometimes goes 3 up. The boat could do 4 but he has altered his berths as he takes bikes etc.
There is a later Seawolf mk3 with aft cabin and heads with a sugar scoop stern currently on Apollo Duck