The early 320 differs from the later “32” suffix models in an important respect: the Sportline iteration was heavier and more substantially built. Its generous displacement and high ballast ratio produce a genuinely stiff hull that can drive through a choppy sea under full sail.
Design and Construction
Mohnhaupt gave the 320 a beamy, roomy hull. With 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 construction said to improve the indoor climate. Both the standard fin keel and the optional shallow fin are iron. Most Sportlines carried a deep cast-iron fin, while a few were built with a shoal-draught winged keel, said to calm motion under sail and reduce draft.
A reasonably deep forefoot distinguishes the 320 from later models and makes her less prone to slamming in short seas. Her well-balanced rudder and keel keep weather helm slight, provided she isn’t over-canvassed.
Rig and Handling
The 320 has a fractional rig and is significantly overrigged for her size, carrying more rig than 79 percent of similar sailboats. With the ISO reference sail, her SA/D is 16.4; with a 135 percent genoa, it rises to 19.0. That spread makes her faster than half of comparable designs in light wind.
Writing in Yachting Monthly, testers found that she went well upwind even in light winds and was fastest at around 45 degrees off the apparent wind. In heavy air, she wouldn’t pinch closer than 50 degrees but made only about 5 degrees of leeway. She needs a first reef at 18 knots, with four rolls in the genoa, and a second reef at 22–23 knots. Reducing the genoa more than expected helps keep her balanced.
Under main and genoa, she needs some breeze to get going downwind. Many owners therefore fly a spinnaker or cruising chute in light airs. In boisterous reaching conditions, she is easier to helm than many comparable boats.
Her manoeuvrability in port is one of her strong suits. She can turn in her own length and drives astern as readily as she does forward.
Accommodation
Below, the warm mahogany interior is straightforward and surprisingly well supplied with stowage. There are two reasonably spacious double cabins, plus two straight saloon settees that can serve as sea berths on long passages when fitted with lee cloths. She can sleep six, though four is a more comfortable number for extended cruising.
The saloon seats six for drinks or four for dinner. The galley isn’t massive, but it is well appointed and can feed and water four people for an extended weekend. It also suits a family or couple cruising long-term. Some may find the mahogany finish a little dark, but the layout puts everything where expected.
Performance and Stability
The 320’s displacement-length ratio of 169 places her among “light racers.” Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 18.1, however, makes her more comfortable than only 18 percent of similar designs, while a capsize screening value of 2.15 would bar her from ocean races.
Theoretical hull speed is 7.1 knots, compared with an engine speed of 7.5 knots. Her immersion rate is near 187 kg/cm, and she has about 31 m² of wetted surface.
The ballast ratio is 38 percent, higher than that of 34 percent of her peers. The Sportline’s heavier build raises that figure to 46 percent.
Ownership and Known Issues
Yachting Monthly’s test boat proved to be a well-found vessel with scarcely any serious faults. Fuel capacity is limited, however: the Sportline’s 50-litre tank provides only about 150 miles of motoring range, which is a real constraint for longer passages.
On the reviewed boat, all sail controls were led aft to the helm and were light to use, while the instruments were close at hand. That arrangement made her a doddle to sail and obedient when the going got rough. She makes a comfortable and safe family cruiser, or a downsizing boat for sailors who often go out alone.
The Verdict
The Bavaria 320 is a beamy, overrigged late-1980s 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 somewhat dark, mahogany interior. Limited fuel range and sluggish light-air performance downwind under main and genoa are the main trade-offs.
Pros
- Stiff, substantial Sportline hull with a high ballast ratio
- Easily handled by one or two crew, with excellent in-port manoeuvrability
- Roomy, straightforward interior with good sea berths
- Well-balanced helm with only slight weather helm when not over-canvassed
Cons
- Limited motoring range because of the small fuel capacity
- More overrigged than 79 percent of peers, requiring careful reefing discipline
- Sluggish downwind in light airs under main and genoa alone
- Capsize screening value bars her from ocean-race acceptance
