Design and Construction
Baltic Yachts built the 35 with balsa-cored hulls and decks, a construction choice that predates the yard's later shift to foam cores. The core is deliberately eliminated around through-hull fittings so water cannot migrate into the sandwich anchor, and bulkheads are bonded to both hull and deck for a stiffer whole. Fiberglass tanks are tabbed to the hull rather than left free, and the teak decks are set in epoxy and screw-fastened while that bond cures. Period reviewers judged build quality and finish excellent and durable, and the well-balanced hull carries a large rudder beneath its fin keel drawing 6 feet 2 inches, with a 5-foot 6-inch shallow-draft version also offered.
Rig and Handling
The 35 wears a fractional, double-spreader rig with standard rod rigging and chain plates set well inboard, gear that one review noted was laid out mainly with a full racing crew in mind. Yet the boat remains small enough for a light family crew to manage. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio sits at a healthy 20.1 at design weight, and even with 1,500 pounds of people, water, and ground tackle loaded aboard it only falls to about 18 while the displacement-length ratio climbs past 200. A long, narrow wedge-shaped trunk cabin and wide side decks give good working room forward, and the T-shaped cockpit—small but comfortably seated—puts the large destroyer wheel within easy reach of the helmsperson on either side.
Accommodations
Below, the standard arrangement places a V-berth forward followed by a port head and starboard hanging locker, then a saloon with a port dinette and starboard settee. The galley lies aft to port with a navigation station opposite, and the whole interior is pushed forward of normal to open a large owner's cabin aft with standing headroom, a small settee, and a double berth tucked under the cockpit. Reviewers called the boat sumptuously fitted for extended passage-making with the usual cruising comforts, though the fine lines mean the end cabins are not as spacious as some, forward headroom under six feet is lacking, the head is rather small, and storage is limited. The companionway sits several feet forward of the cabin trunk's aft end along a long bridgedeck.
Power and Service
Standard auxiliary power is an 18-horsepower Yanmar diesel mounted in an engine box below the companionway steps. Removing that box gives excellent access for service, a real advantage given the tight machinery space. With a 31.7-gallon fuel capacity and solid-fiberglass hull and deck materials, the mechanical side is straightforward for a boat of this performance orientation.
The Verdict
The Baltic 35 is a focused cruiser-racer from the first Judel/Vrolijk collaboration with Baltic Yachts: light on her lines, well-built in balsa-cored composite, and arranged for both short-handed family sailing and full-crew racing. The accommodations trade some cabin volume for a rare aft owner's stateroom and passage-making fit-out, and the racing-bias deck gear rewards an engaged crew.
Pros
- First Judel/Vrolijk serial design for Baltic, with proven racing-derived hull balance
- Balsa-cored hull and deck with core removed at through-hulls; bulkheads tied to hull and deck
- Light displacement (over 2,000 lb under class norm) with sail-area/displacement near 20
- Excellent engine access once the companionway-step box is lifted
Cons
- Forward headroom under six feet; small head and limited storage
- End cabins constrained by fine hull lines
- Deck and rig gear oriented to a full racing crew rather than casual shorthanded use
