Used boats : icons from 34 to 38 feet, four must-have goodies

Our second-hand column returns, which in this installment focuses on the 34- to 38-foot segment. Some of the boats featured below have marked a piece of yachting history, such as the Grand Soleil 34, an iconic boat from Cantieri del Pardo. Others are less well known, but still represent potential good bargains on the used market.

Used boats : GRAND SOLEIL 34

When Cantiere del Pardo landed on the market in 1974, it decided to commission the French designers of Group Finot for a hull that, while remaining faithful to the nautical design of those years, could rely on a rationalized and intelligent deck. The GS 34 was born, of which 290 examples were made until 1983. The first modern boat, reliable in cruising and able to provide satisfaction in racing as well, 37 years after its launch it still retains great market value.

V CAT 38

It was the boat with which in 1976 with the first example, the Gattone, the Vallicelli family (Andrea is the designer) won countless regattas. Elegant lines, “corrugated” sandwich construction, characteristic of the Artmare shipyard that built it. Characteristic V-shaped stern, flaring of the hull at the maximum beam accentuated. Excellent bowling and wave-passing skills. Classical interior of fair workmanship. Produced with single or double sump.

Used boats : BENETEAU, FIRST 35.5

Sailing in the mid-1980s experienced the invasion of the big names in international design: emblematic of this new trend was Beneteau’s First 35.5, commissioned in 1986 from Jean Berret along with the famous Philippe Starck. Aesthetically speaking, it is a revolution: essentiality of form and architectural nonconformity enter the design of interiors in a big way. On the functional side, however, there is no shortage of criticism.

BARBERIS, SHOW 38

Using a Fontana-Maletto-Navone racing hull, the Show 38 is an excellent example of a fast cruising hull (production from ’85 to ’89). Built of hand layered fiberglass with a large sail plan, Barberis makes a leap in interior quality with this boat, better than in previous boats. Two cabins aft and one forward, Quadrato with a U-shaped dinette that can be converted into a double bed, large galley area, a large chart and two bathrooms. As usual in race-derived boats of those years, somewhat sacrificed the cockpit.