Conceived as a capable offshore cruiser, the design combines a slender main hull with folding, swing-style amas. Folded, the boat has a beam of 12 feet 6 inches for conventional dockage; it can be reduced to a trailering width of 8 feet 6 inches.
Design and Construction
The main hull has a 7-to-1 beam-to-length ratio on a 23-foot-2-inch DWL. Flattish sections aft and a wide stern promote early planing, while the elliptical amas provide low wetted surface and a high prismatic coefficient for efficiency at speed.
The amas are sized at 175 percent of total displacement. As an ama immerses, its shape moves the longitudinal center of buoyancy forward. At full immersion, that center settles at 45 percent of the DWL aft of the cutwater.
The main hull uses composite construction, with Kevlar and carbon-fiber reinforcement in high-load areas and solid fiberglass where the akas attach. The swing-wing retractable ama system was engineered to match the structural integrity of a fixed-beam arrangement. When rotated into the sailing position, the akas extend well inboard and penetrate the main hull by 36 inches. Once securely bolted, they form a very rigid structure. A water stay, or flying wire, reduces bending loads.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig is built around a 45-foot rotating, double-spreader mast developed with North Sails. It allows the full-batten mainsail’s roach to reach the limit, producing a sailplan of 670 square feet and a moderate-roach SA/D of 35.1.
A short bowsprit provides tack points for a roller-furled screecher and a spinnaker. A stem-mounted, self-tacking jib fits neatly inside the screecher. The cockpit-controlled centerboard increases draft from 1 foot 3 inches to 5 feet 3 inches, while an outboard rudder complements the 20-horsepower auxiliary, which is mounted on a lifting stern bracket.
Test sailors recorded 6 knots of boat speed in 6 to 8 knots of true wind. In light air, the boat touched 8 knots under spinnaker and drove efficiently hard on the wind at less than 40 degrees apparent. Speeds beyond 20 knots were reported as common.
Accommodations
Below, the Contour 34 SC feels generous for its weight. It offers 6-foot-3-inch headroom and cherry trim, with a large V-berth cabin forward and an enclosed head and shower to port.
In the saloon, two 6-foot-6-inch settees convert into sea berths. Ten opening Lewmar Ocean Series portlights and two overhead hatches provide excellent ventilation.
The aft galley runs astride and behind the companionway. It includes a good-sized icebox, a deep sink, and a two-burner Origo nonpressurized alcohol stove. Fresh water is carried in a 20-gallon stainless steel tank. Outside, the cockpit opens through the transom and seats four comfortably.
Verdict
The Contour 34 SC is a thoughtfully engineered trailerable trimaran. Its slender main hull and buoyant, efficiently shaped amas create a platform capable of genuine offshore passage work and exhilarating speed without giving up a bright, practical interior.
The folding-wing system and centerboard make it unusual among cruising trimarans: it can use conventional dockage and travel by road. However, modern buyers will need to weigh the boat’s period choices, particularly its outboard auxiliary and alcohol galley.
Pros
- Folding amas and shallow board-up draft allow trailering and use of conventional slips
- Rigid aka structure and composite hull, with Kevlar and carbon-fiber reinforcement in high-load areas
- Versatile North Sails rig with a self-tacking jib and screecher and spinnaker options
- Airy, cherry-trimmed cabin with sea berths and excellent ventilation
Cons
- 20-horsepower outboard auxiliary rather than inboard propulsion
- Two-burner nonpressurized alcohol stove limits modern galley expectations
