This is a performance cruiser rather than a coastal cruiser designed to maximize interior volume. The boat measures just under 38 feet overall, with a waterline length of 28 feet 9 inches. It displaces 14,300 pounds and carries 6,700 pounds of lead ballast.
Design and Construction
The C&C 37 is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, an approach consistent with C&C Yachts’ Canadian production methods of the period. It has a solid-fiberglass hull and solid-fiberglass deck, a fin keel, and an internally mounted spade-type rudder.
The standard-keel model draws 6 feet 7 inches. A centreboard version was also built, giving buyers a shallow-draft alternative based on the same basic hull. With 11 feet 8 inches of beam, the hull was shaped more for sailing manners than maximum interior square footage.
The ballast-to-displacement ratio is given as both 42 percent and 41.96. The 41.96 ballast ratio and 1.92 capsize screening number indicate a stiff, seakindly platform.
Rig and Performance
The C&C 37 carries a masthead sloop rig with 670 square feet of sail area. Its mast stands 56 feet above the waterline, and its theoretical hull speed is 7.18 knots.
The PHRF handicaps provide the clearest picture of relative performance. The standard-keel version averages 69, a genuinely quick number for a 37-foot cruiser-racer. The shoal-draft keel version averages 108, with a recorded high of 108 and low of 111. The centreboard version averages 114, with a high of 114 and low of 120.
Those figures show the predictable performance penalty associated with reduced draft and added centreboard complexity. Even so, the centreboard model remains comfortably within club-racing company.
Accommodations and Capacities
Known sources don’t itemize the interior arrangement beyond describing the C&C 37 as a small recreational keelboat built with wood trim. It came from a builder known for performance-oriented yachts, while its tankage—60 gallons of water and 20 gallons of fuel—suggests a boat sized for weekend and coastal cruising rather than long-term liveaboard use.
The Verdict
The C&C 37 is a purposeful Robert W. Ball-designed performance cruiser from C&C’s early-1980s Canadian production. The standard-keel version is genuinely quick, while the centreboard model offers greater flexibility in shallow water.
Its fiberglass construction, wood trim, fin keel, and spade rudder are conventional for the era. The PHRF numbers reinforce the larger point: C&C built this boat to sail well, not merely to provide accommodation.
Pros
- Standard-keel version averages a PHRF of 69, a strong showing for its size
- Centreboard version offers shallow-water flexibility
- High 42 percent ballast ratio provides initial stability
Cons
- Shoal-draft and centreboard versions carry meaningful PHRF penalties, averaging 108 and 114 respectively
- Modest 20-gallon fuel capacity limits motoring range
