Design and Construction
ETAP’s defining feature on the 39S is its double-skin construction. The boat has an outer fiberglass shell and an inner hull, with polyurethane foam injected between them. According to the builder, the foam has a minimum of 95-percent closed cells. Additional flotation chambers are fitted in the bow and stern, and the foam-cored sandwich construction renders the boat unsinkable.
The hull itself is solid fiberglass with wood trim. It has a raked stem and a reverse transom fitted with boarding steps. Both the standard fin keel and optional shoal-draft keel have weighted bulbs. Draft is 6.4 feet with the standard keel and 4.92 feet with the shoal option.
An extruded aluminum toerail runs along the deck, and the stanchions angle outward. Cabin-top ports open outward onto the working deck.
Rig, Handling, and Auxiliary Power
The 39S carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig. Its aluminum spars are deck-stepped, with wire standing rigging and a single set of swept spreaders. Upwind sail area totals 835 square feet, increasing to 1,221 square feet downwind. An optional asymmetrical spinnaker measures 777 square feet.
Test sailors found that the boat tracked nicely without a tendency to round up. The balanced spade rudder felt light in the helmsman’s fingers.
Under power, a 40-horsepower Volvo Penta MD-2040s handles docking and maneuvering. Calculated maximum speed is about 7 knots.
Accommodations
The standard layout sleeps eight in three cabins. Forward is a double V-berth with its own sink. In the main saloon, a U-shaped settee converts to a double berth, while two further double berths occupy the aft cabins.
The galley runs along the port side amidships and includes a stove, ice box, and double sink. Aft of it, also to port, is the head with a separate shower stall. The navigation station sits opposite the head to starboard.
A two-cabin version was also observed. In that arrangement, the aft head occupied the companionway-side position usually given to a U-shaped galley. Boat of the Year judge Carol Hasse praised that aft head’s separate shower.
Performance Profile
The numbers describe a light boat shaped for performance. A displacement-length ratio of 179 makes the 39S lighter than 82 percent of comparable designs. Its ballast ratio of 33 percent is higher than only 18 percent of similar boats and indicates a very low ability to resist heeling.
The Motion Comfort Ratio is 22.3, which is below average and more comfortable than just 18 percent of similar designs. A capsize screening value of 2.05 would exclude the boat from ocean-racing acceptance. Hull speed is 7.75 knots.
With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.09, the 39S is beamier than 69 percent of all other designs.
Verdict
The ETAP 39S is a thoughtfully engineered, foam-cored cruiser that trades outright stiffness and motion comfort for interior volume, light displacement, and unsinkable construction. It suits sailors who value bright, spacious accommodations and easy handling more than heavy-weather reserve.
Pros
- Unsinkable double-skin foam construction, with additional flotation chambers in the bow and stern
- Beamy, open three-cabin layout that sleeps eight, with a linear galley and separate shower
- Light, responsive helm and good directional stability under sail
Cons
- Low ballast ratio provides limited resistance to heeling
- Below-average motion comfort and a capsize screening value that excludes ocean racing
- Tight access to the engine and through-hulls for servicing
