Design and Construction
Colvic Craft produced the hulls and decks, leaving others to complete the boats, so fit-out quality varies. The Victor 34 has a powerful sailing hull built from solid fiberglass, with 5,700-pound lead ballast and a displacement of 14,560 pounds as measured by Yachting Monthly. The ballast ratio is 44 percent.
The hull measures 34 feet overall, with an 11-foot beam and a 27.5-foot waterline. It has a comfort ratio in the upper twenties and a capsize screening figure near 1.87.
Rig, Handling, and Engine
The easily managed ketch rig suits short-handed crews. The Victor 34 sails fairly well but is sticky in light airs, when the engine is used. Engines are usually around 30 hp, although the builder’s specification lists a 35 hp Thornycroft P90.
Accommodations and Layouts
In the standard arrangement, the deck saloon contains a dinette, galley, and inside steering position. Below are a double cabin, a large heads compartment opposite, and a double forecabin.
The principal alternative layout moves the galley below and provides better navigation facilities. That arrangement relocates the galley below rather than concentrating cooking and steering in the same enclosed saloon.
Refit and Ownership Considerations
Because Colvic supplied hulls and decks for others to finish, completion standards vary from boat to boat. The galley-below version is the main alternative to the standard saloon-galley layout.
The Verdict
The Colvic Victor 34 is a steady ketch with a sheltered deck saloon and a manageable rig. Its main drawbacks are weak light-air performance, variable completion quality, and a standard layout that places the galley and helm in the same enclosed space.
Pros
- Heavy-displacement, solid-GRP hull with a 44-percent ballast ratio
- Easily managed ketch rig
- Deck saloon with dinette, galley, and inside steering position
- Double cabin, large heads compartment, and double forecabin
Cons
- Sticky in light airs
- Standard saloon-galley layout mixes cooking functions with the helm
- Variable completion quality
