Design and Construction
The B/One has a hand-laminated E-glass hull and a deck cored with PVC foam. Chined topsides aft give the hull a modern profile shaped for fast sailing. Class rules state that the hull cannot be faired; the same restriction applies to the aluminum blades. This keeps the boat within one-design tolerances and rules out cosmetic smoothing.
The keel trunk forms part of a structural liner. It extends to the deck, creating a backbone that also defines the space below. The retractable T-bulb keel lowers by gravity as the boat comes off its low-profile trailer, then rises when the boat is set back on the trailer. The cassette rudder can be raised with a strap for safe approaches in shallow water.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig has a deck-stepped mast and swept spreaders that eliminate the need for a backstay. A 16:1 boom vang controls the square-topped mainsail. There are no winches, so the crew works the boat through line handling and mechanical advantage rather than geared purchase.
The bowsprit pole line also serves as the tack line. The pole runs through a slot in the deck, an arrangement that keeps the cabin dry when the bowsprit is deployed.
At 8 feet, the beam is the maximum allowed for trailering, and crew weight is optimized for that towable envelope. The B/One carries a PHRF rating of 120. Two triangular ridges in the cockpit sole provide footing, while the rounded deck edge is easier on the crew’s legs. The lifelines are padded.
Accommodations
Belowdecks, the B/One is tight, clean, and absolutely barren—a white-painted cavern with a straightforward layout. Pipe berths provide the standard sleeping accommodation, while a drop-in V-berth module can add a proper forward berth.
There’s seated headroom on either side of the keel trunk. An acrylic keel-trunk cover and acrylic companionway hatch bring in light. Beneath the hatch is space for a cooler, and a portable toilet fits forward of the mast. These are accommodations reduced to the essentials, with trailability and race readiness taking priority over cruising comfort.
Verdict
The B/One is a disciplined one-design sportboat: a towable, tightly controlled platform with a Farr pedigree and a clean, purposeful build. It gives up creature comforts to meet that brief. Its weaknesses are inherent to the type—the barren interior and no-fairing rules limit both refinement and owner customization.
Pros
- Hand-laminated E-glass hull, PVC-foam-cored deck, and structural keel-trunk liner
- Trailerable 8-foot beam, gravity-lowered and trailer-raised T-bulb keel, and cassette rudder
- Backstay-free swept-spreader rig, square-topped main, 16:1 vang, and dry bowsprit slot
- Boat of the Year nominee whose build quality impressed the judging panel
Cons
- Class rules prohibit fairing the hull and aluminum blades
- No winches
- Deliberately barren interior, with only pipe berths as standard
- Limited headroom and few amenities below beyond space for a cooler and portable toilet
