Judel/Vrolijk’s racing pedigree is evident in a hull more than 2,000 pounds lighter than typical boats of this size. Designed displacement is 9,877 pounds, with a 28-foot 8-inch waterline and an 11-foot 6-inch beam.
Design and Construction
Baltic Yachts built the 35 with balsa-cored hulls and decks, before the yard’s later move to foam cores. The core is deliberately omitted around through-hull fittings, preventing water from migrating into the sandwich. Bulkheads are bonded to both hull and deck to create a stiffer whole.
The fiberglass tanks are tabbed to the hull rather than left free. Teak decks are bedded in epoxy and held with screws while the bond cures. Period reviewers considered the construction and finish excellent and durable.
The well-balanced hull has a fin keel and a large rudder. Standard draft is 6 feet 2 inches, while a 5-foot 6-inch shallow-draft version was also offered.
Rig, Deck, and Handling
The Baltic 35 carries a fractional, double-spreader rig with standard rod rigging and chainplates set well inboard. One review noted that the gear was arranged mainly for a full racing crew, although the boat remains small enough for a light family crew to handle.
At design weight, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is a healthy 20.1. Even after adding 1,500 pounds of people, water, and ground tackle, it falls only to about 18, while the displacement-length ratio rises above 200.
A long, narrow, wedge-shaped trunk cabin leaves wide side decks and good working room forward. The T-shaped cockpit is small but provides comfortable seating. Its large destroyer wheel remains within easy reach of the helmsperson from either side. The companionway is positioned several feet forward of the cabin trunk’s aft end, across a long bridgedeck.
Accommodations
The standard interior begins with a V-berth forward, followed by a port-side head and a hanging locker to starboard. In the saloon, a dinette is to port and a settee to starboard. The galley is aft to port, opposite the navigation station.
The entire interior is placed farther forward than usual to make room for a large owner’s cabin aft. This cabin has standing headroom, a small settee, and a double berth tucked beneath the cockpit.
Reviewers described the Baltic 35 as sumptuously fitted for extended passage-making, with the usual cruising comforts. There are compromises, however. The fine hull lines leave the end cabins less spacious than those on some comparable boats. Forward headroom of six feet isn’t available, the head is rather small, and stowage is limited.
Engine and Systems
Standard auxiliary power is an 18-horsepower Yanmar diesel, mounted in an engine box beneath the companionway steps. Removing the box provides excellent service access—a real advantage in the otherwise tight machinery space.
Fuel capacity is 31.7 gallons. With its fiberglass tanks tabbed to the hull and its solid-fiberglass hull and deck materials, the mechanical side is straightforward for a boat with this performance focus.
Verdict
The Baltic 35 is a focused cruiser-racer from Baltic Yachts’ first collaboration with Judel/Vrolijk. She’s light, well balanced, and strongly built in balsa-cored composite. Although small enough for a light family crew, her deck and rig arrangements are better suited to an engaged crew and full-crew racing.
Below, the passage-making fit-out and unusual aft owner’s stateroom come at the cost of some cabin volume. The result is a boat with genuine cruising accommodations but clear priorities shaped by its racing-derived hull.
Pros
- First serial-production Baltic design by Judel/Vrolijk, with racing-derived hull balance
- Balsa-cored hull and deck, with core omitted around through-hulls
- Bulkheads bonded to both hull and deck
- Light displacement—more than 2,000 pounds below the norm for boats of this size—with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 20
- Excellent engine access once the companionway-step box is removed
- Large aft owner’s cabin with standing headroom
Cons
- Less than six feet of headroom forward
- Small head and limited stowage
- End cabins constrained by the fine hull lines
- Deck and rig gear oriented more toward a full racing crew than casual shorthanded sailing
