Canadian Boating described the result as an impressive blend of sailing performance and elegant cruising comfort. Almost 30 hulls were sold during the early production run, many of them American despite Goman's expectations.
Design and Construction
Killing's hull lines are modern but not extreme, shaped for speed without the distortions a measurement formula would impose. The original target displacement was a relatively light 10,600 pounds, although production weight settled at 11,500 pounds. Almost half that mass is in the keel, balancing a generous sailplan of roughly 643 square feet and producing a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 46 percent.
The keel is a thin, moderate-aspect foil shaped through computer analysis. A shoal variant was also offered.
The hull and deck are solid fiberglass with a full balsa core, reinforced in high-stress zones. Longitudinal fiberglass stringers run unobtrusively down both sides, stiffening the shell. The chainplates are stoutly anchored into bulkheads and grounded to a keel bolt.
The double-spreader tapered spar steps on cast aluminum bolted to reinforced floor timbers. Rod rigging was standard for all standing rigging except the mainstay—an unusual quality feature for the class.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
Under sail, the Express 35 proved a pleasure to steer, with a nicely balanced, light and responsive helm. Upwind, she felt neither tender nor stiff, but pleasantly sensitive to a freshening breeze. She accelerated smartly as she bore away.
The mainsheet runs from the boom end to a traveler bar just forward of the wheel. Its coarse-and-fine sheet arrangement and traveler adjustment were a pleasure to use. Halyards and reefing lines lead aft beneath the deck to stoppers and winches at the aft end of the cabintop, helping to keep the cockpit clear.
The cockpit is well laid out, with several comfortable steering positions and excellent visibility.
Accommodations
The main hatch opens into a true companionway fitted with bulkheads and grab rails. At its foot, a slatted teak panel covers a drip pan that drains to the bilge. Below, oiled teak on the sole, bulkheads, and locker facings contrasts with a streamlined off-white headliner.
A double cabin occupies the port quarter, aft of the galley. To starboard are the nav station and, behind it, a roomy head with grab rails and a wet locker.
In the saloon, an L-shaped settee to port and a straight settee to starboard each serve as a single berth. Fiddled shelves and sliding-door lockers provide stowage, with additional space behind the seatbacks and beneath the cushions.
Double doors open into a generous forward cabin with a V-berth, long shelves, a hanging locker, and a built-in starboard unit of drawers and lockers. Large bins are fitted beneath the berth. The aft cabin follows the same style in a tighter space: its double bunk is no more than 42 inches wide, with a long outboard shelf and a hanging locker over a drawer.
Galley, Navigation Station, and Head
The galley is impressively equipped for use at sea. Acrylic fiddles several inches high surround the counter, while a stainless-steel grab rail fronts the freely gimbaling two-burner propane stove. An oven was optional, and a fitted board levels the stove top.
A hinged cutting board covers deep double sinks on the centerline, and a large locker sits beneath them. Express Yachting would also fit removable table fiddles on request for meals under way; the table otherwise shipped without fiddles.
Opposite the galley, the chart table has the same fiddle-and-rail treatment. The navigator's seat is comfortable, if slightly tight, and sits above a drawer unit.
The head compartment's only visual shortcoming is an open shelf where the headliner stops short, leaving the underside of the deck and the plumbing exposed.
Equipment and Service Access
The deck hardware was all top-notch, name-brand equipment. The engine is easy to reach either behind the companionway steps or through a sliding panel in the aft cabin. The batteries are installed in a vented space beneath the navigator's seat.
Both the aft cabin and the head had solar-operated vents, although Goman noted plans to replace them with small skylight hatches. The electrical panel was also being revised as a hinged board at the aft end of the locker.
One area remains cramped: access to the steering gear beneath the cockpit floor is tight because the fuel and holding tanks are located there.
Verdict
The Express 35 is a thoughtfully engineered mid-1980s performance cruiser that keeps its hull honest while providing genuinely livable accommodations. It suits sailors who want rule-free speed without giving up a proper galley, a dedicated nav station, and two private double cabins.
Pros
- Balanced, responsive helm and smart acceleration off the wind
- Balsa-cored fiberglass hull with longitudinal stringers and grounded chainplates
- Sea-minded galley and nav station with full fiddles and grab rails
- Rod rigging as standard
- Clear cockpit, with halyards and reefing lines led aft
Cons
- Headliner stops short in the head, leaving an unfinished open shelf
- Cramped access to the steering gear beneath the cockpit floor because of tank placement
- Table supplied without fiddles, though removable ones were available on request
