Design and Construction
ETAP's defining method on the 39S was a double-skin hull: an outer fiberglass shell and an inner hull with polyurethane foam injected between them, the foam quoted by the builder as having a minimum of 95-percent closed cells. Additional flotation chambers sit in the bow and stern, and the foam-cored sandwich construction renders the boat unsinkable. The hull itself is solid fiberglass with wood trim, a raked stem, and a reverse transom fitted with boarding steps. Both the standard fin keel and the optional shoal-draft keel carry weighted bulbs, giving a standard draft of 6.4 feet and a shoal option of 4.92 feet.
Rig and Handling
The 39S carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig on aluminum, deck-stepped spars with wire standing rigging and a single set of swept spreaders. The sail plan totals 835 square feet upwind and 1,221 square feet downwind with an optional 777-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker. Test sailors found her tracking nicely with no tendency to round up, and the balanced spade rudder felt light in the helmsman's fingers. Under power, a Volvo Penta MD-2040s of 40 horsepower drives docking and maneuvering at a calculated maximum of about 7 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the standard layout sleeps eight across three cabins: a double V-berth forward with its own sink, a U-shaped settee in the main saloon that drops to a double, and twin aft double berths. The galley runs linearly along the port side amidships with a stove, ice box, and double sink, while the head aft of it on the port side holds a separate shower stall. A navigation station faces the head to starboard. A two-cabin version was also observed, where the aft head took the companionway-side position usually given to a U-shaped galley, and Boat of the Year judge Carol Hasse praised that aft head's separate shower. Cabin-top ports open outward onto the working deck, and the boat wears an extruded aluminum toerail with outward-angled stanchions.
Performance Profile
The numbers frame a light racer: a displacement-length ratio of 179 places her lighter than 82 percent of comparable designs, while a ballast ratio of 33 percent sits higher than only 18 percent of similar boats and indicates a very low ability to resist heeling. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 22.3 is below average and more comfortable than just 18 percent of similar designs. A capsize screening value of 2.05 would bar her from ocean-racing acceptance, though her hull speed reaches 7.75 knots. The length-to-beam ratio of 3.09 makes her beamier than 69 percent of all other designs.
The Verdict
The ETAP 39S is a thoughtfully engineered foam-cored cruiser that trades outright stiffness and motion comfort for volume, lightness, and unsinkable construction. She rewards a sailor who values bright, spacious accommodations and easy handling over heavy-weather reserve.
Pros
- Unsinkable double-skin foam construction with bow and stern flotation chambers
- Beamy, open three-cabin layout sleeping eight with a linear galley and separate shower
- Light, responsive helm with good directional stability under sail
Cons
- Low ballast ratio gives limited resistance to heeling
- Below-average motion comfort and capsize screening that excludes ocean racing
- Tight access to engine and through-hulls for service
