BoatsSouthern Cross 35

Southern Cross 35

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1978

A 1978 cutter with a 32% ballast ratio, engineered for a comfortable motion and steady offshore passage-making

Designed by Thomas Gillmer, built by C. E. Ryder.

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 35 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 35
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.76
LightHeavy

360 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 360
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.8
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~81% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2960 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
32.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.8
Displacement / length
360.0
Comfort ratio
35.4
Capsize screening
1.76
Hull speed
7.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1143
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1978
Units built
95
Designer
Thomas Gillmer
Builder
C. E. Ryder

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.

Maxus 3510.68 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2022 launch featuring a 1.95-metre deep-draft fin keel and bulb for offshore stability and upwind performance
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
Hallberg-Rassy 35210.59 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA classic center-cockpit cruiser from Enderlein and Rassy, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, stable hull
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
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

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.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue