The information gathered from the search results confirms the designer and provides some initial insights into the boat's characteristics, especially that it's designed for competitive sailing and has a spacious interior. I will use this to build the article. I will also incorporate the builder article's information about Friendship Yachts' general philosophy.
Here's the detailed plan, incorporating the search results:
1. Introduction
- Essence: A competitive sailing yacht, not a standard Friendship cruiser, with a spacious interior.
- Designer: Jacques De Ridder.
- Builder: Friendship Yachts (NL).
- Production Start: 1991.
2. History and Design
- Production: Started in 1991. No end year mentioned, but the builder article indicates continued presence.
- Designer's Philosophy: Jacques De Ridder aimed for a "slightly more spacy hull" and designed for "high-level competitive sailing," not to be compared to other Friendships.
- Builder's Ethos (from article): Friendship Yachts focused on robust construction, practical design, accessible, well-built sailing yachts with comfort and reliable performance. This particular model, however, seems to be a departure, being a "One Off, built to an original design by Jac. de Ridder" with a focus on competitive sailing. I should highlight this distinction.
- Variations: Search results do not indicate MkI/MkII variations for the Friendship 38, but rather suggest a "One Off" nature for some models, built for competitive sailing. I will note this.
3. Sailing Performance and Handling
- SA/D Ratio (17.98): This indicates a moderate to good sail area for its displacement, suggesting decent light-air performance for a cruiser but not an extreme racer. It should accelerate well in moderate breezes. SailboatLab reports 18.11 which is very close.
- B/D Ratio (0.357): A moderate ballast ratio indicates good stability, allowing it to stand up to a reasonable amount of wind, typical for a cruising yacht with performance aspirations. The builder describes the hull as "very stiff."
- D/L Ratio (118.6): This suggests a relatively light-displacement boat for its length, pointing towards a performance-oriented cruiser that should be nimble and responsive.
- Handling: Described as built "solely for its sailing characteristics" with "high-quality fittings" and "all conceivable trim" options. "One of the fastest Friendships ever built, very stiff hull, trimming to the last extra tenth of a knot possible." Fin keel with spade rudder. This combination implies good maneuverability and responsiveness.
4. Accommodations and Layout
- General: "The interior is very spacious due to" its design. The designer "has chosen a slightly more spacy hull."
- Detailed layout/materials: The search results are limited on specific interior details. I need to make sure to emphasize that information on the exact layout and materials is scarce, and rely on the general "spacious" description. No specific descriptions of V-berths, galleys, etc., were found. I cannot fabricate this.
5. Owner's Perspectives (Optional)
- Search terms like "Friendship 38 owner reviews" did not yield specific consolidated owner reviews, common problems, or forum discussions for the Friendship 38, unlike generic "common problems" or reviews for other boats like "Sabre 38". Therefore, I will omit this section, as per instructions.
Now, I will construct the article.