Deja Vu

Racing Sailboat Deja Vu

From: Boats.com By Bob Perry September 27, 2000

The One Design 35 is really a hybrid combining sport boat-type design features with the offshore-oriented features of the IMS boats, making it suitable for offshore and overnight racing. While the accommodations are minimal, they are very usable. The class is the idea of a group of Midwestern sailors who took their ideas to Nelson/Marek, and with the help of Doug DeVos and Barry Carroll, established a joint venture to bring this boat to life. 

The hull is 10 feet, 9 inches wide and that makes it just under the legal trailerable limit. With the keel attached, the boat can be trailered by a light truck and then single-point hoisted and launched with a 4-ton dry-sail hoist. The 35 weighs approximately 6,000 pounds for a D/L of 94.4. The stern is broader than you might find on pure IMS types. Like most current Nelson/ Marek designs, there is a little rocker through the middle of the boat but a distinct little kick to the rocker about station 8. With a near-plumb stem and minimal overhang aft, this boat could be considered to be all sailing length, which means that it has the same DWL as a Valiant 40 for a quarter of the weight.

The keel and rudder are high-aspect-ratio fins. This rudder looks big to my eye, which will make the boat handle and track nicely. Cruisers convinced that full keels and skegs are needed to make a boat track would find sailing this boat to be an eye-opening experience. I presume you will need a kelp cutter on that leading edge to keep it clean of weeds.

The rig is a big fractional with 100-percent jib and a 23-degree sweep on the spreaders. Spinnakers will be flown from a point midway between the hounds and the masthead. The long boom allows the mainsheet traveler to be aft of the rudder head. The SA/D is a whopping 32.65. There will be no standing backstay.

One-design with offshore character.