By Bob Perry
In this issue, we’re going to look at two 34-footers. A 34-foot LOA I see as significant because it is when you have the volume needed for a truly comfortable interior. In fact, a lot of 37-footers have the very same interior as their 34-foot sisters, with just a little bit extra elbow-room.
First, we’re going to look at the Sabre 34-2, designed by Roger Hewson (RIP), who was also the founder of Sabre Yachts, founded in 1970. Sabre had a long run, producing a line of fairly conservative boats we would most probably classify as “cruiser-racers”. There is no hard rule for defining “cruiser-racer”, and no hard rule for defining “racer-cruiser”, but both terms are commonly used. I think the definition for these terms is largely subjective and will depend on the preferences of the buyer.
The 34-2 is a very handsome boat with a subtle spring to the sheer and a well-proportioned cabin trunk. Displacement for the 34-2 is 11,500 pounds, which results in a Displacement to Length (D/L) ratio of 228. At 11.17 feet of beam, the Beam to Length (B/L) ratio is 3.05, which I consider beamy for its time.
Standard draft is 6 feet. The drawings show there was a shoal-draft keel option, probably around 4’-6”, but the exact figure is not shown. I see in the specifications that they also mention a centerboard version, but it does not show in the drawings. The board-down draft is 7.7 feet, the board-up draft is 4 feet. There is also mention of a winged-keel version drawing 4 feet. As long as you stay with the standard-draft keel, the 34-2 should go to weather very nicely.
