Racer-cruiserr

The hull form is moderate. The D/L at 172 is moderate and beam is moderate. The beam at the transom has been pushed beyond moderate.

The new keel is a deep fin drawing 6.7 feet with less lead than the 362 Classic's keel, but with better righting moment due to the bulb configuration. Note the extended leading and trailing edge fillets at the hull intersection. I would guess that this feature is a function of trying to use the existing keel-bolting pattern from the Classic model tooling. Either way, it does provide for a structurally sound joint. The big spade rudder is slightly swept and partially balanced.

The deck layout shows a big cockpit with T cutouts to make wheel steering easier. Note that the traveler bisects the cockpitÑthis will bother some cruisers. It means that a dodger will be difficult to fit on this design, but this isn't really the type of boat that would carry a dodger anyway. I like the traveler exactly where it is because it will work better for the performance-oriented sailor. Jeppesen has one of the better eyes in the business and his decks are nicely sculpted and styled. All halyards lead aft to convenient line bags flanking the companionway. There is a handy well/ground-tackle locker in the bow.

The interior layout shows berths for two couples (sorry, boys) and one aft head. This galley is tiny. ÒHow would you like your peanut butter sandwich?" The settees are curved and wouldn't make very good berths. The forward double looks too pinched for my size 14 feet. The aft double is far bigger but extends under the cockpit where vertical clearance will be restricted. The interior finish trim is mahogany.

I hate the word Òcompromise." Good design should be able to disguise compromise. When you are aiming at race-winning boat speed, however, it's inevitable that the interior will suffer. This layout will be comfy for short cruises and, when finished X-Yacht style, it should look spectacular.

The tall fractional rig, SA/D 22.74, has swept spreaders that eliminate the need for runners. The mainsail roach appears to lap the backstay by about 3 inches, and that's about what I could live with. Swept spreaders are nice. I have them on my boat, but you impale the mainsail quickly once the sheet is eased. You need good spreader patches on your mainsail. Cruisers could do nicely on the 362 with a two-jib inventory. While you are studying this very Ònormal" rig, note the clean lines and nice proportions of this profile.

Auxiliary power is an 18-horsepower Yanmar with a saildrive unit, which allows the prop to be placed forward, away from the rudder. This helps with control in reverse. My guess is that this boat would back up like a champ. There are only 21.12 gallons of fuel tankage and 35.64 gallons of water. Both of those capacities are on the skimpy side for cruising, but they are in keeping with performance targets. This is a vacuum-bagged hull for light weight and stiffness with a Divinycell core.

I see a lot of boats from the mid- Ô70s with this general philosophyÑEricsons, Islanders and almost all of Bill Lapworth's Cal models. These boats were capable club racers and offered good accommodations for short cruises. They were and still are versatile boats that are fun to sail. The X-362 Sport, already with race wins to its credit, follows a well-established path to serious success.