BoatsBolero 35.5

Bolero 35.5

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1979–1981

An IOR 1-ton racer known as the Big Bolero, featuring a fractional rig and a fin keel with a spade rudder

Designed by David Thomas, built by Production Yachts Ltd.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

1.98 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.98
LightHeavy

212 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 212
EasygoingPowered-up

17.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.4

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
212.2
Comfort ratio
23.6
Capsize screening
1.98
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1191
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1979–1981
Units built
6
Designer
David Thomas
Builder
Production Yachts Ltd, Robertson, Sons Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Beneteau First 36.710.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition
Beneteau Oceanis 34.110.77 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed cruiser featuring a hull with dual rudders and multiple keel options for versatile performance
Catalina Yachts 35010.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 2.03-metre draft and a high-volume hull designed for comfortable coastal cruising
Contessa 3510.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots
Hunter Marine 3610.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stable coastal cruising during a short early-eighties production run
Beneteau First 3510.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn IOR 3/4 ton racer with a masthead rig, built for offshore speed and later marketed in the US as the R/C 35

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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