Design & Construction
The construction follows a straightforward, proven formula. Both the hull and the deck are made of fibreglass, a material choice that requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. The keel is cast iron rather than lead, though the performance penalty is often overstated—iron is just 30% less heavy than lead. With a displacement of 11,000 lb and a length overall of 35ft 3in, the boat carries a ballast ratio of 33% (spec data puts it closer to 36%), which is higher than just 15% of similar designs and suggests a ballast ratio significantly below average, indicating a very low ability to resist heeling. The hull form, with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.99, makes her more spacious than 73% of all other designs, reinforcing the designer’s choice of a slightly more spacious hull.
Rig & Handling
The Bavaria 350 is built with a masthead rig, a configuration whose advantage is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area can be carried lower and with less heeling moment compared to a fractional rig. With a standard mainsail and jib area of 47.4 m², the sail area-to-displacement ratio (SA/D) of 16.5 using the ISO reference sail indicates that the boat is faster than 46% of all similar designs in light wind. Hoisting a 135% genoa pushes the SA/D to 19.3. However, the rig is notably powerful for its size; the Bavaria 350 has more rig than 90% of all similar sailboats, indicating the boat is significantly overrigged.
Accommodations
The interior was a good compromise between seagoing and in-harbour comfort, built around a big saloon and featuring a very good chart table. While the sleeping cabins were on the small side, the stowage was excellent, making the layout practical for extended cruising despite the modest private quarters.
Performance & Seakeeping
With a displacement-length ratio of 192, the Bavaria 350 categorizes this boat among 'moderate racers', and 79% of all similar sailboat designs are categorized as heavier. The theoretical maximum speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.3 knots. Comfort at sea is a more mixed picture: the Motion Comfort Ratio is 20.2, a comfort value significantly below average that makes the boat more comfortable than only 18% of all similar designs. Furthermore, the capsize screening value of 2.12 indicates that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races, a rating that prospective owners planning offshore passages should weigh carefully.
The Verdict
The Bavaria 350 is a moderate racer that successfully translated the demand for interior space into a low-price, good-quality package. It is a coastal cruiser that excels in light air and at anchor, though its light displacement and low ballast ratio demand prudent seamanship when the weather deteriorates.
Pros
- A big saloon with a very good chart table and excellent stowage.
- Low-maintenance fibreglass hull and deck construction.
- Moderate-racer displacement and light-air speed potential, especially with a genoa.
- Masthead rig carries sail area lower for reduced heeling moment versus a fractional rig.
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes it from ocean races and suggests caution offshore.
- Significantly below-average ballast ratio indicates limited ultimate resistance to heeling.
- Sleeping cabins are on the small side.
- Significantly overrigged, with more rig than 90% of similar sailboats.
