Design and Construction
The CT 38 Warwick’s hull and deck are solid fiberglass, so there’s no core to saturate. Her ballast ratio is 45 percent, higher than that of 79 percent of comparable designs and an indication of how heavily she is ballasted for her length.
With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.28, she is slimmer than 54 percent of similar boats. Her displacement-length ratio of 255 falls into the “moderate racer” band, while 54 percent of her peers are rated heavier.
A capsize screening value of 1.79 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 30.3—more comfortable than 62 percent of similar sailboats—describe a boat intended less for outright speed than for steady, predictable motion offshore. These measurements describe a boat intended less for outright speed than for steady, predictable motion offshore.
Rig and Sail Plan
By the numbers, the Warwick’s masthead rig is significantly underrigged: she carries more rig than only 24 percent of similar sailboats. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 15.3 with the ISO reference sail and 18.4 with a 135 percent genoa.
In light wind, she is faster than 31 percent of her peers—competent, but not sparkling when the breeze fades. The higher SA/D figure with the genoa indicates where the easiest performance gains lie.
Her wetted surface is about 419 square feet, and theoretical hull speed is 7.4 knots. An immersion rate of roughly 1,234 pounds per inch means she settles deeply as cruising stores come aboard. Loaded draft ranges from 6.59 to 6.89 feet, keeping her out of shallow anchorages.
Performance Underway
The ratios describe a boat that heels into her work with a reassuring ballast reserve rather than the skittishness of a featherweight. Her high ballast ratio and moderate displacement-length figure suggest a hull that tracks and settles, while the comfort ranking places her ahead of nearly two-thirds of her contemporaries for smoothness of motion.
She isn’t a light-air flyer. Still, the increase in sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a 135 percent genoa shows how a larger headsail can recover much of the light-air deficit.
Accommodations and Layout
The available record provides no details of the Warwick’s interior arrangement beyond her external dimensions. Her 11.48-foot beam and 30.83-foot waterline give her a cruising-scale footprint, but the berths, saloon, and galley must be assessed aboard individual boats rather than inferred from the record.
The Verdict
The CT 38 Warwick is a thoughtfully ballasted late-1970s cruiser-racer whose numbers favor offshore steadiness over raw pace. Her relatively small masthead sail plan is the clearest weakness, though a 135 percent genoa recovers much of the light-air deficit. Solid-fiberglass construction also avoids the core-rot concerns found in some comparable boats.
Pros
- A 45 percent ballast ratio, higher than that of 79 percent of similar designs, supports stability
- Motion Comfort Ratio exceeds that of 62 percent of comparable boats
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck, with no core to fail
Cons
- Significantly underrigged compared with most similar sailboats
- Loaded draft of 6.59–6.89 feet limits anchorage choices
- Light-air speed is better than that of only 31 percent of peers
