BoatsRival 34

Rival 34

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1972

A 1972 masthead sloop with a 39% ballast ratio, designed for offshore stability and a steady 6.68-knot hull speed

Designed by Peter Brett, built by Southern Shipbuilding.

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

See her sail

The Rival 34, on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Brothers

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 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.70
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 347
EasygoingPowered-up

13.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.9
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

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

  • Narrower than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2954 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Rival 34, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Rival 34 is a Peter Brett-designed masthead sloop, built by Southern Shipbuilding and Marine Construction Ltd. from 1972 to the present, with a fin keel and rudder on skeg. It measures 10.4 meters LOA, 3.0 meters beam, 1.8 meters draft, and displaces 5397 kg. The design features a shoal draft of 4.67 feet.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 113 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Rival 34 on video

SAILING AND ANCHORING IN SUPER DEEP WATER. HIKING AN ACTIVE VOLCANO Adam and Luke anchor in 30 meters of water at Banda by running a stern line to shore.The Sailing BrothersChannel Update From IndonesiaAdam and Luke plan a 600-mile passage from Indonesia to the Philippines after climbing Banna volcano.The Sailing BrothersTheft, Damage And Corruption. Worst Week Of Our Cruising Adventure!Clearing into Tual, Indonesia, requires navigating complex bureaucratic demands, potential agent fees, and local anchorage hazards.The Sailing BrothersSURFING GIANT WAVES in Our Catamaran! (Sailing Australia to Indonesia Final)Adam and Luke sail a catamaran 450 miles from Thursday Island to Tual, Indonesia, encountering unlit fishing platforms.The Sailing BrothersSailing Offshore Australia To Indonesia. Arafura SeaAdam and Luke sail 700 miles from Thursday Island to Indonesia while managing fatigue and fishing traffic.The Sailing Brothers700 Miles From Australia To Indonesia The 44-foot sailboat *Chequers* navigates tidal currents and 30-knot winds on a 700-mile passage to Indonesia.The Sailing Brothers48 Hour Reef Run The crew navigates 276 miles of the Great Barrier Reef, replacing a damaged spinnaker pole fitting with a soft shackle.The Sailing BrothersSailing Into Unpredictable Weather and Runaway Anchored Boats A catamaran crew navigates heavy shipping traffic and squalls during an overnight passage to Cooktown, Australia.The Sailing BrothersThe Moment of Truth for Our DIY Copper CoatingUpgrading windlass cable to 50mm² eliminates voltage drop and restores torque for heavy-duty anchor retrieval.The Sailing BrothersDid We Do It Wrong? | Windlass UpdateA 1,200-watt windlass install on a Rival 34 draws 100 critical comments; the crew fixes the wiring but defends the backing plate.The Sailing BrothersMASSIVE 1200W Muir Anchor Windlass Upgrade! / A Cruising Must Have!Installing a 1200-watt windlass requires a composite backing plate and matched electrical components to prevent deck failure.The Sailing BrothersMade Our Own COPPER COATING, Will It Work?A DIY copper-epoxy anti-fouling system is applied to a catamaran hull using a wet-on-tacky layering technique.The Sailing Brothers

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen sold

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
Ballast / displacement
39.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.9
Displacement / length
347.0
Comfort ratio
32.5
Capsize screening
1.70
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
858
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1972
Units built
174
Designer
Peter Brett
Builder
Southern Shipbuilding, Marine Construction Ltd

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.

Pacific Seacraft 3410.39 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Crealock-designed cutter featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and an optional shallow-draft keel for versatile cruising
Take a tour of a Praia 34 catamaran | The speedster of the Northeast | 18415:05from MotionMe
Sabre Yachts 3410.42 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthProduced from 1976 to 1985, this fin-keeled masthead sloop offers a balanced 40% ballast ratio for coastal stability
Stop Waiting — These Sailboats Are a STEAL!2:23from Lady K Sailing
Seidelmann Yachts 3410.36 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1981 masthead sloop with a 45% ballast ratio, balancing a light-displacement hull with a deep 1.65-metre fin keel
Even more rotten wood and a RAT on board?? What is going on here? 😟from Eternal Sailing
King's Cruiser 3310.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Pelle Pettersson-designed masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for stable, classic cruising
Day 4: They don't tell you this! 💀 The WORST thing about reviving a sailboat alone1:31from Piratas Aderiva
Victoria Marine 3410.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile cruiser available as a masthead sloop or cutter, featuring a shallow 1.47m draft and a skeg-hung rudder
Episode 3 - Rachael Sprot15:24from SheHelms Sailing
Westerly Yachts Ltd. Discus 3310.14 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Westerly 33, featuring a masthead rig and the choice of fin or twin keels
How To Replace Rigging & Emergency OFFSHORE Repairsfrom Sailing Sea Dream of Clyde

The family

Boats like this

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

Rival 41A Peter Brett-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for heavy-weather stability and offshore passage makingRival 41 CCA masthead ketch featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, built since 1973 for stable, long-distance cruisingRival 38A Peter Brett-designed cruiser available in multiple cockpit and rig configurations, built for stability and comfortRival 32A Peter Brett-designed masthead sloop featuring a counter-stern, serving as the evolution between the Rival 31 and 34Rival 31A Peter Brett-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore stability since 1969Rl 34A Rob Legg-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel, built for versatile coastal cruising since 1979

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Rival 34, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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