Design and Construction
Corsair built the 970 at a single factory in Vietnam, using careful construction techniques that included vacuum bagging. Period reviewers considered the build quality quite good—and better than that of the California-built 31s built at a single factory in Vietnam.
The hull and deck are fiberglass with a PVC foam core. Corsair backs the structure with a five-year warranty and passes along the manufacturers’ warranties on installed hardware. The folding mechanisms that bring the amas inboard for trailering weren’t reinvented for the 970; they’re well-refined systems carried over from earlier versions.
Corsair also added more cabin furniture while keeping the boat’s weight the same as the 31’s. That improves livability without penalizing performance.
Rig, Foils, and Handling
The 970 replaces the 31’s foils with much thinner, higher-aspect-ratio versions optimized for speeds in the teens and above higher-aspect-ratio foils. The boat routinely delivers double-digit speeds and can demonstrate what 20-plus knots feels like.
In light-air testing, sailors flying a screacher in 8 to 10 knots recorded 6.6 knots at just above 60 degrees apparent, then 7.6 knots after cracking off. Owners report that the blade jib improves windward ability by 15 degrees.
The fractional sloop rig carries a 44.95-foot mast on a 31.82-foot trimaran. Together with the added buoyancy and longer amas, this helps the platform remain flat and composed in conditions where its predecessor would have felt tender.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The 970 manages to combine an aft cabin with an aft cockpit, while also gaining cabin headroom over the 31. Writing in Cruising World, the reviewer praised the cockpit’s two very comfortable park benches. The layout turns the boat’s broad beam into useful lounging and steering space rather than leaving it as a bare trampoline span.
The extra headroom and aft-cockpit arrangement give the 970 a genuine weekend-cruising feel. At the same time, it retains the run-around space on the trampolines that only a trimaran can provide.
Auxiliary Power, Draft, and Trailering
There’s no inboard option. The test boat carried a Yamaha 9.9-horsepower outboard on the transom, with a steering arm on the tiller and remote engine controls in the cockpit no inboard option. This arrangement keeps the hull simple and the weight down.
For trailering, the amas fold inboard. With the daggerboard raised, the boat can sit in a foot and a half of water, be parked on a beach, or tucked into a small lagoon—a level of flexibility no monohull in this size range can match.
Verdict
The Cruze 970 is a thoughtful evolution of the Corsair 31. It trades some of the older boat’s low-speed docility for a stiffer, faster, and more livable platform. Longer amas and greater buoyancy make it steadier at speed and more comfortable at anchor, while the proven folding mechanism preserves its easy trailering. The construction quality and warranty package also suggest that Corsair took the redesign seriously.
Pros
- 20 percent more buoyancy and longer amas than the 31, creating a more stable platform
- Higher-aspect-ratio foils and light-air performance into the teens and beyond
- An aft cabin and aft cockpit, with more headroom and comfortable cockpit seating
- Folding amas, a beachable hull, and shallow draft for lagoon access
- A five-year structural warranty and improved Vietnam-built construction
Cons
- No inboard engine option; propulsion depends on an outboard
- Thin, high-aspect-ratio foils favor speed over forgiving low-speed handling
