Cruiser-Racerr

So if you find yourself racing against one of these, probably the only part of the aesthetics you will have to be concerned with is the shape of the transom. Despite this impressive race record, the One Design 35 is billed as a cruiser-racer.

I wish we could unveil all the secrets to successful designs in these reviews. The fact is there are few designers willing to divulge their secrets. We should also consider that it takes more than a slick hull shape to win races. Sails, crew, helmsman, tactician, generous handicap ratings and basic race preparation play major roles. Still, all that is beyond the scope of my humble reviews, so we need to focus on what we can derive from brochure drawings.

With a D/L of 142, this can be considered a moderately proportioned design. A D/L of 142 is textbook "normal" for the type. I see nothing out of the ordinary in the hull profile. The fore and aft rocker is flattened amidships a bit. The overhangs are minimal, particularly at the stern where there is almost no counter at all. In plan view, we see a relatively fat boat with its beam carried to the stern.

I wish I could point to a feature and say, "See, that's what makes it so fast," but I can't. We would need hull lines and the curve of certain areas to get a more complete picture of this design. Even then, the secrets may lie in the foils alone and few designers will go into detail on their proprietary foil practices. Keel and rudder in plan form view are quite typical.

The layout is very conventional and will lend well to family cruising. The galley is contracted but I can imagine whipping up a batch of chicken thighs braised in a wine and balsamic vinegar sauce in this galley. It would just take carefully choreographed logistics and a nice long downwind leg. The interior is finished in American cherry veneers.

The sail plan shows a handsome boat, but almost all of these race boats are good-looking if you can accept the boxy appearance that comes with flat sheerlines and snubbed-off ends. With their short, bulletlike cabintrunks and long cockpits, all these boats are definitely beginning to have a very similar look. It's what works.

The 35 has a masthead rig with both runners and a babystay. The SA/D is 21.52. This boat has been very successful under both the IMS and CHS (Channel Handicap System). The CHS is closer to a PHRF type of rule than to the IMS. This may explain the relatively moderate proportions of this design. It may also explain the masthead rig. Arbitrary handicap rules tend to favor moderate boats.

The Humphreys One Design 35 is built by the Special Projects division of the Bowman Group in Southampton, England. I think the well-balanced nature of this design will ensure that it has enduring appeal to both racers and cruisers.