BoatsOvni 37

Ovni 37

Cutter · Keel/centreboard · 1985–1989

A Philippe Briand-designed aluminium cutter featuring a centerboard and a stern scoop extension for versatile cruising

Designed by Philippe Briand, built by Alubat.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Ovni 37, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 0.55 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.05
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 214
EasygoingPowered-up

18.3 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.3
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

What the fleet has seen

The Ovni 37, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Ovni 37 is a 1985–1989 cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Philippe Briand and built by Alubat, sharing its hull with the Ovni 35 but adding a stern scoop extension. It measures 11.9 meters LOA, with a 3.6-meter beam, 2.0-meter draft, and 5600 kg displacement. The aluminum hull integrates ballast directly into its structure, and a carbon mast helps achieve a Category A stability rating.1:48 SEILmagasinet reviewed an Ovni 37 with a deck-saloon configuration, featuring an elevated interior, large windows, and white interior panels.0:21 The bathroom is split, with a shower forward and a head aft, through which the aft cabin is accessed; this cabin primarily functions as a technical space with bunk beds.1:02 All halyards and sheets route to the coach roof, allowing sail adjustments from a protected position, which necessitates autopilot use during active sailing due to the helm's separation from sail controls.3:24

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.3
Displacement / length
214.0
Comfort ratio
22.0
Capsize screening
2.05
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1246
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Aluminum
Ballast type
Cast Iron
Production
Years built
1985–1989
Designer
Philippe Briand
Builder
Alubat

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.

O'day 329.63 mSame hull family2.3 m shorterA 9.6-metre masthead sloop with a deep-draft keel-centreboard configuration designed for versatile coastal cruising
Southerly 11010.82 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel that allows for shallow-water exploration and drying out
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 3510.67 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop featuring a lifting keel and twin rudders for versatile shoal-water cruising
Ovni 4012.60 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA 12.6-metre cutter with a high 25.21 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for agile performance during her 1984-1987
Tartan Marine 34 C10.49 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard hull designed for shoal water and IOR competition
Pearson Yachts 3510.67 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterBoasting the longest production run of any Pearson model, this keel/centerboard sloop remained largely unchanged for 14 years

The family

Boats like this

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

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The fleet has more to say

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