BoatsBristol Yachts 32

Bristol Yachts 32

Masthead Sloop · Modified Full Keel · 1966–1983

A Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a modified full keel, built for steady, comfortable cruising over two decades

Designed by Ted Hood & Dieter Empacher.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Modified Full Keel

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 33 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 33
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.72
LightHeavy

453 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 453
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.3
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.3
Displacement / length
452.8
Comfort ratio
33.3
Capsize screening
1.72
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
747
Hull
Hull type
Modified Full Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1966–1983
Units built
322
Designer
Ted Hood, Dieter Empacher
Builder
Bristol Yachts Inc

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.

Sea Sprite 309.20 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA 9.2-metre cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio, delivering a stiff and steady motion for coastal passages
Sailing S/V Coralia - Winter Passage to Cape Hatteras0:01from Hold Fast!
Pacific Seacraft Orion 279.42 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA heavy-displacement cutter by Henry Mohrschladt, built for offshore stability with a long keel and conservative rig
Small Boat, Big Keel Why This 27 Footer Works3:15from Practical Sailor
Rawson 309.30 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA William Garden-designed long-keel cruiser offered in tall-rig, yawl, and rare pilothouse configurations
Life Update1:04from Sailing Spy
Alden 32 Motor Sailer9.60 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterOriginally known as the Winsome Class, this masthead sloop features a long keel and was available in both sloop and ketch
OPB: 1969 Alden 32 Tour and Sail - msvLaReina (October 2025)0:04from keeldragger
Beneteau Evasion 329.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-keeled masthead ketch that launched the Evasion line and marked a new era for Beneteau
The Cheapest Sailboat That's Actually A Perfect Cruiser 👌0:05from Reversing Entropy
Rustler 319.58 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a long keel, evolved from the North Sea 24 and sharing lineage with the Twister 31
Air Tools: The Secret to a Perfect Finish | Practical Boat Owner0:07from practicalboatowner

The family

Boats like this

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

Bristol Yachts 31.1A 1983 masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, optimised for a stable, comfortable coastal paceBristol Yachts 35.5A long-running production cruiser with a 43% ballast ratio, designed for a stiff and stable coastal sailing experienceBristol Yachts 31 XLA Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, built for coastal cruising since 1968Bristol Yachts 33A 1968-1971 production masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for a stable, coastal-focused displacementBristol Yachts 41.1A masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 modelsBristol Yachts 33.3A Dieter Empacher-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, built for performance from 1986-1994

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Bristol Yachts 32

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