Design and Construction
The hull has an 11-foot beam and a 25.58-foot waterline. That breadth was deliberate: Scott gave the boat a beamy hull for stability. Displacement is 10,000 pounds, including 3,400 pounds of ballast, for a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 34.
The hull is solid fiberglass, with a fin keel and a rudder carried on a partial skeg. This arrangement provides directional steadiness without the drag of a full keel. Build quality is solid, and many Bombay Clipper 31s are still sailing today.
Rig, Sail Plan, and Performance
The Clipper 31 carries a masthead sloop rig with a reported sail area of 419 square feet and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.44. That moderate figure favors comfort and control over quick acceleration.
Rig dimensions are 38 feet for I, 10.83 feet for J, 32.33 for P, and 13 for E. Published dimensions for the mainsail, jib, and three genoa options were generated by a computer algorithm from those rig numbers rather than measured from actual sails. The genoas range from a 130-percent overlap sail of 256 square feet to a 150-percent deck-sweeper of nearly 305 square feet. A 526-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker was also cataloged.
Owners praise the Bombay Clipper 31 for its comfort, light-air performance, and coastal cruising ability in protected to semi-protected waters. Some boats have also made longer passages.
Accommodations and Tankage
Belowdecks, the boat is known for generous accommodations and is often described as roomy for its size. Its two cabins sleep four to six comfortably, and headroom is just over six feet.
That interior space is a direct benefit of the broad hull and a 1970s design brief that put living space ahead of race-course tuning. A 60-gallon water capacity and 30-gallon diesel tank suit extended weekends and modest coastal hops without constant reprovisioning.
Ownership and Legacy
The Bombay Clipper 31 was produced by Bombay Yachts, a company founded by former Irwin Yachts executives who left to establish their own line. Its straightforward fiberglass construction and conventional fin-keel-and-skeg underwater profile make it an understandable platform for an amateur owner. The fact that many remain afloat decades later is the clearest testament to the soundness of the original build.
The Verdict
The Bombay Clipper 31 is a sensible, well-built coastal cruiser from the pragmatic end of the 1970s market. It trades outright performance for space, stability, and a forgiving nature that owners still value on protected and semi-protected waters.
Pros
- Roomy two-cabin layout that sleeps four to six, with just over six feet of headroom
- Solid fiberglass hull with a fin keel and partially skeg-hung rudder for steady handling
- Comfortable light-air coastal cruiser with documented longevity
Cons
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits outright pace
- Designed for value and stability rather than cutting-edge performance
