Design and Construction
The 99’s structural recipe sets it apart from ordinary cruisers of its size. Fairport built the hull as a sandwich of E-glass fabric, reinforced with Kevlar in high-load areas. Epoxy laminating resin was applied through a mechanical impregnator, followed by vacuum bagging and an eight-hour post-cure in an oven using this epoxy resin and vacuum process.
Below the waterline, the core is ATC Core-Cell foam; the topsides and deck use Baltec AL-600. The hull-deck joint is sealed with 3M 5200 and fastened with stainless steel machine screws on 4-inch centers through a 6061 T6 aluminum backing plate. Deck hardware is either through-bolted or tapped into stainless steel bar stock.
Jackett’s lamination schedule eliminated chopped strand mat and achieved a glass content of 67–70 percent. Compared with polyester construction, it cut the skin laminate’s weight roughly in half while adding fiber strength. The epoxy shell weighs about 780 pounds, versus 1,600–1,800 pounds for a polyester equivalent. Fairport backed these epoxy boats with a 15-year guarantee.
A Mars Metal bulbed keel is secured with stainless steel bolts. The underbody has a canoe shape, fin-and-bulb keel, and deep spade rudder, all far removed from traditional cruiser forms.
Rig, Handling, and Power
Under sail, the 99 comes across as balanced and easy to manage. Its powerful sail plan can still be handled cleanly under mainsail alone when tacking through crowded harbors, and test sailors found tacking and jibing easy singlehanded. The roller-furling jib was a snap to manage.
The roughly 300-square-foot mainsail has single-line slab reefing led aft, along with controls more often associated with larger boats: vang, outhaul, traveler, and a double-sided mainsheet with fine and gross tails.
A large rudder kept the boat balanced when beating to windward, with only slight weather helm. Even when overpowered and short on rail weight, the 99 resisted broaching. It was also reluctant to bury its bow and lift its stern, helping the rudder remain engaged. The Edson steering was strongly installed and butter-smooth.
Auxiliary power comes from a 19-horsepower Volvo MD2020 diesel with sail drive, fitted snugly beneath the companionway ladder. In calm conditions, it pushes the boat at just over 6 knots while consuming about two-thirds of a gallon per hour.
Accommodations
The 99 sleeps six and is comfortable for four. Headroom is 6 feet 2 inches, a real asset aboard a 32-footer.
The layout puts the navigation station, a settee, and the head to port, with the head positioned forward. To starboard are a C-shaped galley and another settee. The master stateroom has an oversized V-berth for two adults, plus a hanging locker and full-length shelves. Aft, an angled double berth extends outboard to port.
Cherry joinery with a satin finish and a teak-and-holly sole give the interior a traditional look. The cabinets use weight-saving ITW SprayCore foam. In the galley, a two-burner gimbaled propane cooktop is set into molded Granicote, alongside an icebox insulated with 4 inches of foam. Provision was also made for an optional microwave.
Tankage comprises 40 gallons of water, 20 gallons of fuel, and 20 gallons of effluent capacity. The water and holding tanks are beneath the forward berth, while the fuel tank sits below the port settee. A swim-step transom and a lazarette in the cockpit’s starboard corner complete the practical features.
Safety and Offshore Credentials
The C&C 99 carries ISO Category A offshore approval and has a limit of positive stability near 122 degrees. Those figures place it among the more capably rated small performance cruisers.
Its stiff demeanor, fair form stability, and light but stiff long-waterline hull support that rating. A period review also noted the safe side-deck layout.
Verdict
The C&C 99 is a thoughtfully engineered 32-footer that combines racer responsiveness with cruising usability. Its epoxy-vacuum hull, balanced rig, and controls suited to singlehanded sailing make it a standout for sailors seeking light-air quickness without giving up offshore credibility.
Pros
- Epoxy-infused, vacuum-bagged hull with high glass content and a skin laminate roughly half the weight of a polyester equivalent
- Balanced, easily handled sail plan that can be managed singlehanded
- ISO Category A approval and a limit of positive stability near 122 degrees
- 6-foot-2-inch headroom and a well-planned, cherry-finished interior within a 32-foot hull
Cons
- Modest cabin house and a smallish cockpit with seating for only four
- Low-profile fixed portlights give the saloon a tunnel-like feel
