Design and Construction
Baltic Yachts built the 39 with a solid fiberglass hull and deck, lead ballast, and a spade rudder on a monohull chassis. The design carried a high ballast ratio and a high aspect ratio fin keel. At 11.81 meters overall, 9.96 meters on the waterline, and 3.83 meters beam, with a draft of 2.11 meters, the boat displaced 8,200 kg and carried 3,450 kg of ballast. The C&C Design lineage placed it among the yard's founding-era models, and one period owner account notes the boat was built by a then-new Finnish company formed by former Nautor employees—the Swan builder's people—giving the marque its early craft pedigree.
Rig and Handling
The 39 is a masthead sloop of 732 square feet of sail area, driven by a Volvo Penta MD11 diesel of 23 horsepower. Its performance character was shaped by the computer studies behind the design: full VPP work yielded both polar plots and numeric performance figures, and those same studies handed racing clients concrete targets to sail against. The emphasis on upwind ability set it apart from Baltic's prior generation of yachts, and the high aspect fin keel supported that orientation without pushing the boat into pure racer territory.
Accommodations
Below, the accommodation layout was generous for a boat of this size, and the plan incorporated a full owner's cabin aft with complete privacy—a layout choice that favored the cruising couple or single-hander who wanted separation from guest quarters. The three-cabin owner layouts and other interior arrangements reflected a genuine effort to make the performance hull livable, rather than a stripped racer with a token interior.
Known Issues
One owner's long-term report describes teak decks worn by time but still sound and not leaking, a condition worth noting for any surviving example though not documented as a universal defect.
The Verdict
The Baltic 39 is a thoughtfully engineered early-computer-design cruiser-racer with real upwind intent and a livable aft-cabin layout. Its C&C/Baltic pedigree makes it a distinctive choice for the sailor who wants performance without a stripped interior, though the age of the teak decks and the modest fuel capacity are practical considerations.
Pros
- One of the first production yachts designed and VPP-evaluated by computer, with real polar targets for racing
- High ballast ratio and high aspect fin keel biased toward strong upwind performance
- Generous accommodation with a full private owner's cabin aft
- Baltic solid fiberglass construction with lead ballast
Cons
- Teak decks on surviving boats are aged, per owner reports, though not leaking
- Only 25 gallons of fuel capacity per spec estimates
