Bavaria 320 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Mohnhaupt’s 320 draws a beamy, roomy hull: at a length-to-beam ratio of 2.93 she is more spacious below than 73 percent of comparable designs, and Yachting Monthly found the internal volume generous for a 10-metre cruiser. The hull and deck are hand-laid fiberglass in sandwich form, a build said to improve the indoor climate, while the fin keel and the optional shallow fin are both iron. Most Sportlines carried a deep cast-iron fin, with a few built to a shoal-draught winged keel that is said to calm motion under sail and trim draft. A reasonably deep forefoot sets her apart from later models by making her less prone to slamming in short seas, and her well-balanced rudder and keel keep weather helm slight if she is not over-canvassed.

Rig and Handling

The 320 is built with a fractional rig and is significantly overrigged for her size — she carries more rig than 79 percent of similar sailboats. With the ISO reference sail her SA/D is 16.4, rising to 19.0 with a 135 percent genoa, a spread that makes her faster than half of comparable designs in light wind. On the water, writing in Yachting Monthly, testers found she goes well upwind even in light winds and is fastest around 45 degrees off the apparent wind; in heavy air she won’t pinch closer than 50 degrees but makes only about 5 degrees of leeway. She needs a first reef at 18 knots with four rolls in the genoa and a second at 22–23, and reducing the genoa more than expected keeps her balanced. Downwind she needs breeze to get going under main and genoa, so many owners fly a spinnaker or cruising chute in light airs; in boisterous reaching she is easier to helm than many comparable boats. Her manoeuvrability in port is one of her strong suits, turning in her own length and driving astern as readily as forward.

Accommodations

Below, the warm mahogany interior is straightforward and surprisingly well-stowed. She has two reasonably spacious double cabins and two straight settees that double as sea berths on long passages with lee cloths, sleeping six but more comfortably four for extended cruising. The saloon seats six for drinks or four for dinner, and the galley — not massive but well-appointed — will feed and water four for an extended weekend and suits a family or couple long-term. Some may find the mahogany finish a little dark, but the layout puts everything where expected.

Performance Envelope

Her displacement-length ratio of 169 places her among “light racers,” yet with a Motion Comfort Ratio of 18.1 she is more comfortable than only 18 percent of similar designs, and a capsize screening value of 2.15 would bar her from ocean races. The theoretical hull speed is 7.1 knots against an engine speed of 7.5, with an immersion rate near 187 kg/cm and about 31 m² of wetted surface. The ballast ratio sits at 38 percent, higher than 34 percent of peers — a figure the Sportline lifts to 46 percent through its heavier build.

Known Issues and Ownership

Yachting Monthly’s test boat proved a well-found vessel with scarcely any serious faults. Fuel capacity is limited: the Sportline’s 50-litre tank gives only about 150 miles of motoring range, a real constraint for longer passages. All sail controls on the reviewed boat were led aft to the helm and light to use, with instruments close to hand, making her a doddle to sail and obedient when the going gets rough. She makes a comfortable and safe family cruiser or a downsizing boat for those who often sail alone.

The Verdict

The Bavaria 320 is a beamy, overrigged late-eighties cruiser whose Sportline build adds weight and stiffness that later models lost. She is easy to handle short-handed, settles comfortably off the wind, and offers a roomy if dark mahogany interior — but limited fuel range and a light-air downwind sluggishness are real trade-offs.

Pros