Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass with a long shallow keel and a profiled centreboard as standard equipment. Ballast totals 4,255 pounds of lead, of which 1,750 kilograms is contained within the long keel itself and a further 180 kilograms sits in the centreboard, giving the boat a low center of gravity that the builder credits with good stability and excellent seaworthiness. The deck is also solid fiberglass. The outboard rudder is hung on the transom, a configuration that pairs naturally with the shoal-draft keel-and-board arrangement and lets the boat take advantage of the 0.65-meter minimum draft for gunkholing while extending to 1.78 meters with the board down for windward work.
Rig and Handling
A fractional sloop rig carries a 12.50-meter mast for a height of 14.20 meters above the waterline, and the 21-horsepower Yanmar 3YM20 diesel provides auxiliary propulsion through a 92-liter fuel tank. The combination of the well-balanced shallow keel and profiled centreboard gives the 335 a documented reputation for steady behavior at sea rather than twitchy performance, and the 7.22-knot hull speed marks the upper bound of its natural pace under canvas. The design category A rating for six persons, and category B for nine, speaks to the structural and buoyancy reserves built into the hull for offshore and coastal use respectively.
Accommodations
Below, the companionway stands 1.91 meters tall and the mast-support area gives 1.87 meters of headroom, so the interior avoids the cramped feel of many 34-footers. Freshwater capacity is a generous 232 liters with a 68-liter holding tank, supporting extended stays aboard without constant replenishment. The layout follows the timeless hull form carried over from the Bora 838, and the volume afforded by the 3.18-meter beam is put to use in a saloon and berths scaled to the boat's length rather than squeezed into a racer's footprint.
Ownership and Warranty
Bora Yachts backed the 335 with a three-year overall warranty and a six-year warranty against osmosis at launch. The solid-GRP construction and lead ballast within the keel are conventional choices that keep long-term maintenance predictable, and the centreboard system is the one moving part in the appendage package that a careful owner will cycle and inspect.
The Verdict
The Bora 335 is a thoughtfully evolved cruiser that honors a proven hull shape while standing on its own as a 2015 design. Its shoal-draft versatility, category A structure, and roomy interior make it a sensible coastal and offshore candidate for a small crew.
Pros
- Long shallow keel with standard centreboard gives 0.65 m to 1.78 m draft range
- Category A for 6 and B for 9 persons
- Generous 232 l water and 68 l holding tankage
- 3-year boat and 6-year osmosis warranty at introduction
Cons
- 21 hp diesel is modest for a 14,110 lb displacement hull
- Centreboard adds a maintenance point absent on fixed-keel rivals
