Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, a construction that asks little of the owner during the sailing season: the material itself needs only minimum upkeep while afloat.
The Bianca 107 has a beam of 10.5 feet and displaces close to 10,700 pounds, including 4,850 pounds of lead ballast. Her ballast ratio is 45 percent—higher than 76 percent of comparable designs—and gives her a very high ability to resist heeling.
Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.38 makes her slimmer than 69 percent of similar boats, and on that basis Kjærulff appears to have chosen a slightly speedier hull form. A displacement-length ratio of 231 places her among “moderate racers,” while 66 percent of peer designs are rated heavier. The underwater body has about 344 square feet of wetted surface.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead rig keeps the sail plan simple. Its chief virtue here is that a given sail area can be carried lower than on a fractional rig, reducing the heeling moment for the same amount of canvas.
The fin keel provides splendid maneuverability in close quarters, although it gives up some directional stability compared with a longer keel. Theoretical hull speed is 7.1 knots. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 24.2 to 26.5 indicates that she is more comfortable than half of similar designs. A capsize screening value of 1.83 would, by that formula alone, qualify her for ocean racing.
Sheet sizes are generous and well documented. Jib and genoa sheets are about 35 feet long and 14 mm in diameter; the mainsheet is about 88 feet, and the spinnaker sheets about 77 feet, all in 14 mm line.
Draft, Capacity, and Cruising Load
Depending on load, the Bianca 107 draws between 5.91 and 6.21 feet on the waterline, or roughly 1.80 to 1.90 meters when loaded. That depth means she can only enter major marinas, shutting her out of shallow anchorages and minor harbours.
Fresh-water capacity is 100 liters—26 US gallons or 21 imperial gallons. That’s a modest supply for a boat of this size and calls for disciplined planning over longer cruising ranges.
The immersion rate is about 1,007 pounds per inch (179 kg per cm). A full cruising inventory will therefore settle the boat noticeably at the bow and stern: every hundred pounds of cargo lowers her by one-tenth of an inch. That’s a useful figure when distributing stores and balancing the boat for a passage.
Ownership and Refits
Owning a Bianca 107 means living with a low-maintenance fiberglass hull and a rig whose sheet dimensions are known to the foot and millimeter, which simplifies replacement. Her deeper draft and moderate-racer displacement will suit an owner who values quick, stiff sailing over gunkholing.
The Verdict
The Bianca 107 is a thoughtfully proportioned mid-eighties performance cruiser: slim, well ballasted, and quick for her length, with a forgiving masthead rig and a hull that asks little of its owner. She’s best suited to sailors who cruise between established marinas and enjoy a boat that stands up to sail.
Pros
- A 45 percent ballast ratio gives very high resistance to heeling
- The slim hull, with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.38, is narrower than 69 percent of comparable designs and was chosen for speed
- The fiberglass hull needs only minimal seasonal maintenance
- The fin keel provides splendid maneuverability
Cons
- Draft of 5.91–6.21 feet limits her to major marinas
- Fresh-water capacity of 100 liters is modest for extended cruising
