Ovni 385

BoatsOvni 385

See her sail

The Ovni 385, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 0.52 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 30 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 30

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.88

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 272

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 20.1

TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

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

Draws less than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 275 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Ovni 385, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Ovni 385 is a 12.1-meter (39-foot) aluminum cutter-rigged sailboat with a keel/centerboard hull, designed by Philippe Briand and built by Alubat from 1997 to 2004. It displaces 8,499 kg (18,737 lbs) with a 2.0-meter (6.7-foot) draft and 3.8-meter (12.5-foot) beam. Aboard *Hugh Robertson Sailing*, the Ovni 385 *SeaChange* completed a 90-mile coastal passage from Richards Bay to Durban, South Africa, in 30-knot winds and steep seas.watch The crew managed the Windpilot self-steering system by adjusting the partially furled jib to maintain boat speed for wind vane effectiveness. *SeaChange* navigated a dense anchorage and commercial traffic into Durban harbor, docking without reverse gear.2:50

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

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

34.1%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Cutter

Ratios

SA / displacement

20.1

Displacement / length

272.0

Comfort ratio

29.7

Capsize screening

1.88

Hull speed

7.5 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1396

Hull

Hull type

Keel/Cbrd.

Construction

Aluminum

Production

Years built

1997–2004

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.

Ovni 4012.60 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA 12.6-metre cutter with a high 25.21 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for agile performance during her 1984-1987

Ocean Voyager 40 - A Yacht Delivery from Sri Lanka to Thailand0:49 from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

Southerly 11010.82 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel that allows for shallow-water exploration and drying out

Southerly 110 from SVN solovelanet

Ovni 43512.90 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration

Sailing Insights: How Jon Amtrup sails all year round! ⛵️❄️7:31 from SEILmagasinet

Alden Yachts 44 MII13.46 mSame hull family1.4 m longerAn evolution of the Alden 44 featuring a modified rudder, repositioned propeller, and updated interior layout

Don McIntyre Returns // OGR Founder & Philosophies on Sailing & Adventure2:15 from 59° North Sailing

Irwin Yacht 43 (1971)13.26 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA 13.26-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.44-metre draft and keel-centreboard configuration for offshore stability

BOAT TOUR - 1988 43' Irwin MKIII CC9:02 from Sailing Into the Mystic

Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-metre draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed

OPB: Pearson 40, svMarbella, Boat Tour (Feb 2026) - For Sale!from keeldragger

The family

Boats like this

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

Ovni 495A 14.95-metre cutter featuring dual rudders and a centreboard for deep-water stability and shoal-draft access Ovni 455A 14.95-metre aluminium cutter with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, engineered for agile, long-range exploration Ovni 455 CCA center-cockpit cutter with a lifting keel, designed for offshore blue-water cruising and shallow-water access Ovni 435A 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water exploration Ovni 395A Philippe Briand-designed aluminium lifting-keel cruiser built for go-anywhere exploration and shoal-water access Ovni 36A Philippe Briand-designed aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, built for versatile shoal-draft exploration

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The fleet has more to say

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