Henry Ford is often credited with bringing the automobile to the common man. Roger MacGregor, a one-time Ford employee, may well be credited with doing the same thing for the cruising sailboat. The popular MacGregor 25 was the flagship of his line for 14 years. With a swinging keel - a MacGregor invention - that made transporting and launching the boat a snap, and a price that hovered around the cost of a new car, the MacGregor 25 opened up coastal and inland sailing to thousands.

MacGregor started the company while earning his MBA at Stanford Business School. He and his wife, Mary Lou, later ran the company out of their garage while Roger was working for Ford. Soon the business outgrew the garage and MacGregor quit his job, bought property in Costa Mesa, and built the plant. The company now has over 100 employees, sells in 15 countries and is family run.

The 25 wasn't the first boat MacGregor built - that honor belongs to the Venture 21. But it is the one that did the best job serving the growing pocket cruiser market. It had enough space to house a couple or small family for the weekend, yet could easily be towed behind most cars.

Before the 25 debuted, many boat designers didnít think it was feasible to squeeze a serviceable cruising interior into a boat of that size. While its functional lines, light weight design and minimal use of wood may not have won the approval of some sailing purists, the flexible, go-anywhere boat proved to be extremely successful. It was easy to rig (one person could step the mast), sail, and especially popular with first-time sailboat owners.

When the Macgregor 25's production ended in 1987 - 7,000 had been sold.

Stuart Streuli, Sailing World Magazine.