Design and Construction
The Ovni 43 is an aluminum-hulled boat through and through: hull, deck, and coachroof are aluminium, the hull itself round-bilged with a fine entry and wide stern, and the deck carries an anti-slip coating. Aluminium resists corrosion and osmosis and the deck coating aids footing. The centreboard carries a lead bulb at its foot to supply ballast and stability, though that bulb weighs only about 100 kilograms — light enough that the board is too light to right the boat if she capsizes. Alubat's signature approach places the lifting gear on hydraulic actuation, and the spade rudder is similarly hoistable by winch, which lets the yacht dry out or take to a beach without drama.
Rig and Handling
She is rigged as a masthead sloop with a deck-stepped mast, two spreader sets, and a single backstay, stayed with stainless wire and adjustable turnbuckles. The sail plan carries a fully battened main with three reefs, a furling genoa on a Furlex system operable from the cockpit, and an optional staysail or gennaker, with lazy jacks and a stack pack simplifying main handling. A single wheel steers from the aft cockpit. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 22.0 and a ballast ratio of 42.4, the design stands up well to her canvas in a blow and, in competent hands, can outrun similarly sized cruisers of her 34-foot 2-inch waterline. Her displacement-to-length ratio of 211 marks her a moderate displacement cruiser, while a comfort ratio of 23.3 places her motion in the coastal-cruiser band.
Accommodations
Below, the Ovni 43 is laid out with three separate cabins and two heads, a bright and roomy interior for the length. The forward cabin holds a double berth, hanging locker, and ensuite head with shower; the two aft cabins each have double berths and share a head with shower in the saloon. The saloon itself places a U-shaped settee and large table to port, a long settee to starboard, and a substantial navigation station aft of the starboard settee with a large chart table and instrument panel. The galley sits aft of the port settee with a double sink, three-burner stove with oven, and top-loading fridge.
Deck and Equipment
On deck the layout is simple and functional, with wide side decks, a large foredeck, and an uncluttered aft cockpit that is spacious and comfortable, fitted with two large lockers, a folding table, and an integrated bathing platform. Deck hardware is well grouped for short-handed work: two self-tailing winches serve the genoa sheets, two handle halyards and reefing, and two attend the centreboard and rudder controls. The centreboard can be locked at any draft between 0.8 and 2.5 metres, and the rudder between 0.8 and 1.6 metres.
Known Issues
The centreboard's lead bulb, at roughly 100 kilograms, is too light to self-right the vessel in a capsize event. The capsize screening formula of 2.1 also places her outside the sub-2.0 band generally associated with lower ocean-passage capsize risk.
The Verdict
The Ovni 43 is a versatile and comfortable aluminium cruiser whose lifting board and rudder open shallow and drying anchorages that stay closed to fixed-keel yachts, without sacrificing the stiffness and pace of a well-ballasted cutter.
Pros
- Aluminium hull and deck resistant to corrosion and osmosis
- Hydraulic lifting centreboard and winch-raised rudder for beaching and shallow draft
- Strong sail plan with cockpit-operable furling and reefing gear
- Roomy three-cabin, two-head layout with proper navigation station
Cons
- Centreboard ballast too light to right the boat if capsized
- Capsize screening figure of 2.1 outside usual ocean-passage threshold