It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem; a raise counter, angled transom; a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed, modified long keel, with a cutaway forefoot.
[1][2][4] The boat is normally fitted with a small 6 to 10 hp (4 to 7 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering, although at some points during production an inboard engine was optional.
Not only is her 3' 5" draft not conducive to easy ramp launching, but on the trailer and equipped to sail away, the total weight is over 8,000 pounds, and requires a sizable towing vehicle rated to pull that big a load.
"[4] A Blue Water Boats review of the design says, "the popular little Bristol 24, also called the Corsair in earlier times, is a safe and solidly built pocket cruiser from the 1960s.
Hundreds were built in hand-laid fiberglass by the Sailstar Boat Company and later Bristol Yachts in Rhode Island with a production run that spanned 17 years.