While mainstream European builders of the era focused on high-volume charter platforms, Gross prioritized light displacement, exceptional shallow-water access, and a highly protected, easily single-handed watchkeeping environment. The model's signature aesthetic—a aerodynamic, dramatically sloping "fastback" saloon cabin house—gives the line its name and serves as a highly functional, low-windage shell that shrugs off heavy headwinds.
Inside, the fit-out is practical and lightweight, prioritizing structural integrity and weight savings over heavy, domestic-style wood joinery. Solid fiberglass hulls provide rugged impact resistance, while the decks utilize a closed-cell foam core to keep weight to a bare minimum.
Design Brief & Intent
The Fastback 32 was created for the cruising couple or single-handed sailor seeking a highly capable coastal voyager that can cross shallow river bars, thread through reef passages, and tuck into anchorages completely inaccessible to conventional keelboats. While typical catamarans of this size rely on fixed, low-aspect-ratio mini-keels, the Fastback 32 utilizes a high-performance retractable daggerboard and kick-up rudders. This design allows the boat to reduce its draft to an astonishingly shallow 1.64 feet (0.50 meters). Combined with integrated beaching keels along the hulls, the boat can comfortably settle flat on the sand during low tide.
The interior layout defies the standard marine template. To ensure safe, comfortable watchkeeping in any weather, the helm station—complete with steering wheel, engine controls, and primary headsail winches—is located entirely inside the bridgedeck saloon. The helmsman is fully protected from wind and spray.
To solve the headroom issue inherent in a low-profile, aerodynamic cabin house, Gross installed a massive sliding overhead hatch directly above the steering station. When slid forward, the hatch provides the helmsman with standing room and 360-degree visibility, with their head and shoulders open to the sky.
Descending into the hulls reveals surprisingly generous accommodation, including 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) of headroom. The standard layout places two private double berths amidships (one in each hull), with the galley down in the port hull and a large head and shower compartment aft in the starboard hull.
Variations & Configurations
While the hulls and deck molds remained highly standardized, the Fastback 32 saw several variations in its sail plans and auxiliary power configurations over its production run. The standard rig is a fractional sloop, typically paired with a simple roller-furling headsail and a unique, factory-designed roller-furling boom that allows the main sail to be rolled up directly on the boom for easy reefing.
The most defining mechanical variation involves the auxiliary propulsion. The iconic factory configuration features a single central Yanmar diesel engine (typically between 18 and 30 horsepower) mounted under the saloon seating. This engine drives a highly innovative, steerable, and retractable stern leg (similar to a saildrive) that can be raised electrically or via a manual tackle block directly into a bridgedeck recess. When raised, the drive leg is lifted entirely clear of the water, protecting the propeller from grounding damage and completely eliminating hydrodynamic drag while under sail.
Some owners, however, opted for twin outboard engines on transom brackets, or fixed saildrive legs with protective skegs for simplified maintenance at the expense of sailing speed.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the Fastback 32 behaves more like a high-performance daysailer than a plodding cruising catamaran. Weighing in at a featherlight 5,512 pounds (2,500 kg), it responds immediately to light puffs of wind. With a capsize screening formula of 3.64, the boat carries its beam well, translating gusts into rapid acceleration rather than dramatic heel.
With the single starboard daggerboard lowered, the Fastback 32 claws to windward at angles that put mini-keel catamarans to shame. Tacking is positive and swift, completely free of the sluggish "missed tacks" common in heavier multihulls. Off the wind, raising the daggerboard and the retractable drive leg transforms the boat, reducing drag to a absolute minimum and allowing it to surf easily down ocean swells.
The primary compromise of this lightweight design is payload sensitivity. Like its predecessor, the Fastback 30, the 32-foot platform's performance degrades rapidly if overloaded with heavy cruising gear, watermakers, and excessive ground tackle. To maintain its nimble handling and impressive light-wind speed, owners must embrace a minimalist cruising philosophy.
Market Snapshot & Economics
The Fastback 32 occupies a highly specialized niche on the brokerage market, primarily concentrated in Australia and Southeast Asia. It commands a steady premium among experienced multihull enthusiasts who value its unique combination of inside steering, daggerboard performance, and beachability.
Because John Gross’s factory produced a relatively small run of these boats (estimated at fewer than 50 total units across the 30 and 32 models), they do not appear on the market often. When they do, they are highly sought after as entry-level, easily managed catamarans for couples or solo sailors.
Refit economics are generally favorable: because the hulls are constructed of solid fiberglass GRP rather than cored laminates, they are highly resistant to structural rot and are straightforward to repair. However, buyers must carefully inspect the condition of the custom retractable drive leg mechanism, as replacing or refitting these custom-engineered units can be a complex and costly technical endeavor.
Known Issues & Triage
- Custom Retractable Drive Leg Corrosion: The electrically operated retractable stern drive leg is a masterpiece of engineering, but it requires regular, diligent maintenance. If the lifting mechanism’s limit switches fail, or if galvanic corrosion takes hold in the lifting hinges and seals, the leg can jam in the "down" position or, worse, compromise the watertight integrity of the bridgedeck recess. Annual anode inspections and servicing of the lifting motor are mandatory.
- Electrical System Complexity: Because many Fastbacks were delivered as owner-finished kits or modified by successive owners over the decades, the wiring inside the narrow hull chases and behind the salon dash can be highly disorganized. A common diagnostic triage involves tracing unlabelled, obsolete wires left in place by previous owners. Many hulls require a complete modern rewiring to ensure reliability.
- Bridgedeck Hatch Seals: The large sliding saloon hatch above the steering station is prone to leaking if the tracks and seals accumulate salt crust and debris. If the drain channels become clogged, rainwater or deck wash can easily migrate directly onto the interior steering console and helm electronics.
Modernization & Upgrades
- Lithium (LiFePO4) Conversions: Modern owners are replacing legacy lead-acid house banks with lightweight Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. Given the boat’s high sensitivity to weight, swapping out heavy batteries for a compact, energy-dense lithium system saves considerable weight while easily powering high-draw 12V marine refrigeration units.
- Solar Integration: The aerodynamic, flat profile of the cabin top and aft hardtop bimini provides an ideal canvas for solar panels. Installing modern, high-efficiency walkable solar arrays allows the Fastback 32 to run completely off-grid without requiring a heavy auxiliary generator.
- Rigging and Sail Plan Modernizations: Many owners are replacing the factory roller-furling boom with a modern fully-battened mainsail, a stack-pack with lazy jacks, and a removable bowsprit. Adding a bowsprit allows for the deployment of a Code Zero or an asymmetric spinnaker in a snuffer, vastly improving light-air downwind performance.
The Verdict
The Fastback 32 is an incredibly clever, ahead-of-its-time coastal cruiser that offers an unmatched blend of shallow-draft capability, single-handed ease, and foul-weather comfort. It is not a blue-water passage maker designed for rounding Cape Horn, but for exploring reef systems, beaching on remote sandbars, and sailing efficiently in light air, it has few rivals in the 32-foot class.
Pros
- Inside helm station provides complete protection from the elements during foul-weather watches.
- Retractable daggerboard and kick-up rudders allow for a minimum draft of just 1.64 feet, enabling easy beaching and bar crossings.
- Retractable propulsion leg completely eliminates propeller drag while sailing, maximizing light-wind performance.
- Solid GRP hull construction avoids the moisture-intrusion and delamination issues common in balsa-cored catamarans.
- Fast, responsive handling with excellent tacking capability relative to other cruising multihulls.
Cons
- Extreme sensitivity to weight; overloading with cruising gear drastically reduces sailing performance.
- Custom retractable drive leg requires specialized, ongoing maintenance and is highly vulnerable to neglect.
- Limited interior volume and headroom in the bridgedeck saloon compared to modern, boxier production catamarans.
- Standard of electrical and plumbing systems is highly variable due to owner-completed installations and refits.
