Design and Construction
What sets the Fastnet 34 apart visually is the rollover coachroof anchor, a hallmark of Finot's slightly offbeat styling language that reads as unconventional yet functional. Underneath that distinctive trunk she is beamy for her era, which pays dividends below: the cabin is reasonably spacious for a 34-footer of the period. Construction is straightforward solid fiberglass in both hull and deck, with no core, and the iron ballast is fixed internally. The hull form — a fin with skeg-hung rudder — and the 41.7 percent ballast ratio mark her as a genuine cruiser-racer, not a stripped racer nor a sluggish cruiser.
Rig and Handling
Her chunky masthead rig carries 456 square feet of sail, yet the boat remains easily handled and quick — notably so in light airs, where many heavier contemporaries founder. Yachting Monthly found her a good offshore boat for fast passage-making, and the combination of a 6.65-knot hull speed, a 16.2 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, and that 2.11 capsize screening number places her firmly in the fast-passage cruiser camp. The skeg-hung rudder gives directional security when heeled, and the manageable rig means a short-handed crew can drive her hard without drama.
Accommodations
Below, the original cabin layout was designed to accommodate a full racing crew, with six berths distributed for offshore watch rotations. There is 6ft 4in headroom throughout, a large double vee-berth in the forepeak, and two secure pilotberths in the saloon that double as sea-berths when the going gets rough. A modest-sized aft cabin runs under the port side of the cockpit and is lit by a distinctive round window in the transom — a quirky Finot touch that also aids ventilation. Crucially, the racing-oriented interior can easily be modified to suit a cruising family or couple, so the boat readily crosses from channel racer to liveaboard without a rebuild.
History and Build
Most Fastnet 34s were built by Fastnet Marine, but fitting out was taken over by Atlanta Marine in the late 1970s, and she was still being produced more than a decade after her 1973 inception. That extended run, paired with the small total of 42 hulls, means surviving examples are scarce but not anonymous — and the longevity of the tooling suggests steady demand from a knowledgeable niche.
The Verdict
The Fastnet 34 is a much better boat than the small number built suggests: a quick, easily handled offshore passage-maker with a roomy and adaptable interior wrapped in distinctive Finot styling. She rewards the buyer who values sea-kindly behavior and light-air speed over resale volume.
Pros
- Quick and notably fast in light airs under a manageable masthead rig
- Good offshore passage-maker with skeg-hung rudder and 41.7% ballast ratio
- Roomy, 6ft 4in headroom interior with secure pilotberths and adaptable layout
- Solid fiberglass construction with no core
Cons
- Slightly offbeat looks are not to every traditionalist's taste
- Only 42 built, so finding one takes patience
