Design and Construction
The B/One's hull is E-glass using a hand-laminated construction, while the deck is cored with PVC foam. Chined topsides aft give the hull a modern, hard-running profile, and class rules state the hull cannot be faired, a constraint shared by the aluminum blades, which cannot be faired either. That combination keeps the boat squarely inside one-design tolerances and means cosmetic smoothing is off the table by rule. The keel trunk is part of a structural liner and extends to the deck, forming a backbone that also defines the belowdecks space. A retractable T-bulb keel is lowered by gravity as it comes off the low-profile trailer and raised by setting it back on the trailer, while the rudder is set in a cassette and raised with a strap for safe approaches in shallow water.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a fractional sloop with swept spreaders that preclude the need for a backstay, a deck-stepped mast, and a square-topped main worked by a 16:1 boom vang. There are no winches; control is by line and leverage rather than geared purchase. The bowsprit pole line is also the tack line, and the pole sits in a slot in the deck, keeping the cabin dry when the bowsprit is deployed. With an 8-foot beam — the maximum allowed for trailering — crew weight is optimized for the towable envelope, and the boat's PHRF rating is 120. The cockpit sole has two triangular ridges for footing, the rounded deck edge is easy on the legs, and the lifelines are padded.
Accommodations
Belowdecks the B/One is tight, clean, and absolutely barren inside, a white-painted cavern with a straight-forward layout. Pipe berths sit belowdecks, and the boat can accept a drop in V-berth module to add a proper forward berth. There is seated headroom on either side of the keel trunk, and light belowdecks comes from the acrylic keel trunk cover and acrylic companionway hatch. The area below the hatch has room for a cooler, and a portable toilet fits forward of the mast. This is accommodation reduced to essentials, built around trailability and race readiness rather than cruising comfort.
The Verdict
The B/One is a disciplined one-design sportboat that trades creature comforts for a towable, rule-locked platform with a Farr pedigree and a clean, purposeful build. Its weaknesses are inherent to the genre: the barren interior and the no-fairing rules limit both refinement and owner customization.
Pros
- Hand-laminated E-glass hull with PVC-foam-cored deck and structural keel trunk liner
- Trailerable 8-foot beam with gravity-lowered, trailer-raised T-bulb keel and cassette rudder
- Backstay-free swept-spreader rig with square-top main and 16:1 vang; dry bowsprit slot
- Nominated for Boat of the Year with build quality praised by the judging panel
Cons
- Hull and aluminum blades cannot be faired under class rules
- No winches and a deliberately barren interior with only pipe berths as standard
- Limited belowdecks headroom and amenities beyond a cooler space and portable toilet
