BoatsKirby 36

Kirby 36

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1983

A 1983 performance cruiser featuring a deep 2.07-metre draft and a light 4,763-kilogram displacement

Designed by Bruce Kirby, built by Scorpio Yachts.

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

See her sail

The Kirby 36, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Golden Globe Race Official

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 20 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

2.10 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.10
LightHeavy

169 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 169
EasygoingPowered-up

23.2 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 23.2

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws more than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2964 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Kirby 36, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Kirby 36 is a Bruce Kirby-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built by Scorpio Yachts since 1983. It measures 10.9 meters LOA, with a 3.5-meter beam, 2.1-meter draft, and 4762 kg displacement. Aboard "Mighty Pumpkin," a solo sailor in the Golden Globe Race navigated the South Atlantic, managing a large spinnaker and using a Hydrovane self-steering system.2:07:17 The sailor pre-rigged the spinnaker under the foredeck hatch for faster deployment and maintained a conservative pace to prevent equipment failure.2:25:02 Daily routines included sun sights for navigation, monitoring AIS and VHF, and rationing supplies.2:03:37

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1channel weighed buying one
US$30,000Median asking

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

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
23.2
Displacement / length
168.5
Comfort ratio
19.6
Capsize screening
2.10
Hull speed
7.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1245
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1983
Units built
6
Designer
Bruce Kirby
Builder
Scorpio Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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 36s710.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a bulb keel and an optional taller IMS rig
Sailing for Beginners | Top 10 Questions Everyone Asks9:21from Practical Sailor
J Composites J/112e10.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile Alan Johnstone-designed fractional sloop balancing high-performance sail area with a comfortable cruising interior
The F25C trimaran Daggerboard Exit Slot & Soft Padeyesfrom Ravenswing
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i10.94 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and bulb, also produced as the Sunsail 36i
The BEST Cheap 36 Foot Sailboat - Ep 284 - Lady K Sailing3:18from Lady K Sailing
Dehler Yachts 3610.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1990 Judel-Vrolijk design balancing a 36% ballast ratio with a high sail-area-to-displacement for spirited sailing
"Fri av Fjærholmen" won the Hollænder'n for the fourth time. We had a chat with the skipper.0:39from SEILmagasinet
Beneteau Oceanis 37010.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop built for cruising comfort with a stable, moderate displacement hull
CHEAP Sailboat to live on in the Bahamas! Ep 292 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Dufour Yachts 36P10.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Umberto Felci-designed performance cruiser featuring a deep 2.13m bulb keel and a modern fractional rig
Dufour 36 - A Yacht Delivery from Plymouth to Jersey0:30from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

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

Kirby 30A high-performance fractional sloop from Bruce Kirby, featuring a light displacement and a powerful sail area ratioKirby 25A Bruce Kirby-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for performance racingKirby 1/4 TA Bruce Kirby-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, built for performance-oriented club racing since 1975Blazer 23 (Kirby)A 1988 evolution of the Sonar hull featuring a longer trunk cabin and a more spacious interior layoutNightwind 35A Bruce Kirby-designed fractional sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration that offers a deep 2.21m draft.Mirage 30 SXA rare, race-optimized evolution of the Kirby 30 featuring a larger fractional rig and a deeper elliptical keel

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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