BoatsBristol Yachts 35.5

Bristol Yachts 35.5

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1978–1996

A long-running production cruiser with a 43% ballast ratio, designed for a stiff and stable coastal sailing experience

Designed by Ted Hood & Dieter Empacher.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

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 moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.76
LightHeavy

322 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 322
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

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
Ballast / displacement
43.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
322.0
Comfort ratio
32.5
Capsize screening
1.76
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1064
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1978–1996
Units built
183
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.

Westerly Yachts Ltd. Oceanquest 3510.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ed Dubois-designed cruiser sharing its proven hull with the Seahawk and Falcon, available in center or aft cockpit layouts
Herreshoff Manufacturing Newport 2910.84 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1914 Nathanael Herreshoff design featuring a fin keel and gaff-rigged sloop sail plan for classic performance
S2 Yachts 35C10.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-lived 1986-1987 masthead sloop with a shallow 1.3-metre draft and a balanced 43% ballast ratio
Hughes 3510.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop derived from design #2166, featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder
Najad Yachts 36010.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.75-metre cruiser with a 43% ballast ratio, engineered for high-latitude stability and offshore comfort
Freedom Yachts 35 (Pedrick)10.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1993 performance cruiser with a deep 1.98-metre draft and a spade rudder for responsive handling

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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