Design and Construction
At 35 feet 9 inches overall with a 31-foot waterline, the First 36 S7 carries 11,684 pounds of displacement and 3,650 pounds of iron ballast, a 31 percent ballast-displacement ratio that speaks to a moderately lightweight hull built to perform without punishing its crew. Period reviews described the result as a moderately lightweight boat that performs well enough under sail to make the sailing fun, and the full-ended hull with a wide stern gives volume aft without, as one owner feared, robbing the rudder of authority when heeled—the spade rudder proved to provide good control even when the boat was laid over. A transom extension added by one owner was called an invaluable improvement, though the hullform, rather full in the ends and relatively light, also meant a tendency to sail around at anchor.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries a generous 660 square feet of sail area and a notably large mainsail handled with slab reefing. Owners found the boat a pretty good upwind performer, though many passages to weather were made under motor-sail, and she sails well under main alone with the apparent wind at 40 degrees or more—a mode sailed often. In light upwind conditions the wheel could be locked and the boat would sail for miles with only occasional attention to the traveler, and across all conditions encountered she handled well, reaching and running with a good turn of speed and remaining well balanced and easy to steer. A three-bladed feathering prop earned its keep on long windward slogs.
Accommodations
Below, the Starck interior aims at the elegant and welcoming brief. Owners particularly praised the large drop-leaf saloon table with built-in wine storage and an auxiliary wine locker over the port settee. The galley is fitted with a two-burner stove judged adequate for normal cooking, and the icebox held a freezer compartment reliable enough to make two trays of ice cubes. The cockpit, as built, suited a crew of two but grew tight with four or more aboard. The hot-water heater used engine cooling water to warm freshwater and was mounted under the quarterberth, where in hot weather it could make that berth uncomfortably warm.
Known Issues
The 24-gallon fuel tank proved adequate for local cruising yet short for longer passages, and the quarterberth-mounted heater radiated enough heat in warm conditions to compromise that berth. The full-ended, light hull also tended to swing at anchor more than some skippers liked.
The Verdict
The First 36 S7 is a Berret-Starck expression of the cruiser-racer idea: light enough to feel like a racer, styled and arranged to welcome a cruising couple, and balanced enough to steer itself in a breeze. It is not a stripped-out racer, nor a heavy-displacement cruiser, but a well-mannered 36-foot sloop that rewards short-handed sailing and looks the part at the dock.
Pros
- Fast, balanced handling with self-steering tendency in light upwind air
- Large mainsail and fractional rig make main-only sailing practical at 40° apparent
- Elegant Starck interior with clever wine storage and drop-leaf table
- Wide stern and full ends give volume without ruining rudder control
Cons
- Cockpit tight for crews over four
- 24-gallon fuel capacity limits passage range
- Quarterberth heater placement warms the berth in hot weather
- Light, full hullform tends to swing at anchor
