Express 35 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Killing's hull lines are modern but not extreme, aimed at speed without the distortions a measurement formula would impose. The keel itself is a thin, moderate-aspect foil shaped through computer analysis, and a shoal variant was also offered. Structurally, the hull and deck are solid fiberglass with a full balsa core reinforced in high-stress zones, and longitudinal fiberglass stringers run unobtrusively down both sides to stiffen the shell. Chainplates are stoutly anchored into bulkheads and grounded to a keel bolt, while the double-spreader tapered spar steps on cast aluminum bolted to reinforced floor timbers. Rod rigging for all standing rigging except the mainstay was standard—an unusual quality feature for the class.

Rig and Handling

On the water the 35 proved a pleasure to steer, nicely balanced with a light and responsive helm. Upwind she read as neither tender nor stiff but pleasantly sensitive to a freshening breeze, and she accelerated smartly as she bore away. The mainsheet travels from the boom end to a traveler bar just forward of the wheel, and the coarse-and-fine sheet arrangement with its traveler adjustment was a pleasure to use. Halyards and reefing lines lead aft under the deck to stoppers and winches at the cabintop's aft end, keeping the cockpit clear. The well-laid-out cockpit gives several comfortable steering positions with excellent visibility.

Accommodations

Below, the main hatch opens through a true companionway with bulkheads and grab rails, and at its foot a slatted teak panel covers a drip pan draining to the bilge. The interior is a broad sweep of oiled teak—sole, bulkheads, locker facings—set against a streamlined off-white headliner. A double cabin sits in the port quarter aft of the galley; to starboard lie the nav station and, aft of it, a roomy head with grab rails and a wet locker. The saloon's L-shaped port settee and straight starboard settee each double as a single berth, with fiddled shelves, sliding-door lockers, and still more stowage behind the backs and under the cushions. Double doors lead forward to a generous V-berth cabin with long shelves, a hanging locker, and a built-in starboard unit of drawers and lockers; large bins sit under the berth. The aft cabin mirrors that style in tighter space, its double bunk maxing at 42 inches wide with a long outboard shelf and a hanging locker with drawer below.

The galley is impressively equipped for sea: acrylic fiddles several inches high ring the counter, a stainless grab rail fronts the freely gimbaling two-burner propane stove with optional oven, and a fitted board levels the top. Hinged cutting board covers deep double sinks on the centerline, and a big locker sits under the sink. Opposite, the chart table carries the same fiddle and rail treatment, with a comfortable if slightly tight navigator's seat over a drawer unit. The head compartment's only visual shortfall is an open shelf where the headliner stops short and leaves deck underside and plumbing exposed.

Equipment and Ownership Notes

Deck hardware was all topnotch name-brand gear, and the engine is reached easily behind the companionway steps or via a sliding panel from the aft cabin; batteries sit vented under the navigator's seat. The aft cabin and head each had a solar-operated vent, though Goman noted plans to swap those for small skylight hatches, and the electric panel was being revamped to a hinged board at the locker's aft end. Express Yachting would fit removable table fiddles on request for sea-going meals. One cramped zone remains: steering access under the cockpit floor is tight because the fuel and holding tanks live there.

The Verdict

The Express 35 is a thoughtfully engineered mid-1980s performance cruiser that keeps her hull honest and her accommodations genuinely livable. She rewards a sailor who wants rule-free speed without surrendering a proper galley, nav station, and two private double cabins.

Pros