Design and Construction
The 391 carries a fiberglass hull and deck in sandwich construction, a build approach that improves the indoor climate anchor. Her keel is lead, hung as a fin with a bulb, and the rudder was modified during the model's running changes. At 39.27 feet overall with an 11.61-foot beam, a 3.38 length-to-beam ratio describes a relatively narrow hull by modern volume-driven standards, while the 42% ballast ratio and 6,067-pound lead ballast on a 14,330-pound displacement mark her as a firmly ballasted yacht. The 1990 update brought a new and improved deck, a modified rig, revised keel and rudder, and a further-developed interior, so any buyer should note that two generations of deck and fitout exist within the production span.
Rig and Handling
She is built with a fractional sloop rig and is significantly overrigged, carrying more rig than 86% of comparable sailboats anchor. With the ISO 8666 reference sail her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 20.2, rising to 23.3 with a 135% genoa, and a displacement-length ratio of 233 places her among moderate racers. The theoretical hull speed is 7.4 knots, the capsize screening value is 1.91, and the Motion Comfort Ratio is 25.5. The wetted surface runs about 38 square meters, and the immersion rate is roughly 218 kilograms per centimeter, meaning she sits deep and loads heavily per inch of sinkage. Draft is about 1.95 to 2.05 meters depending on load, which restricts her to major marinas.
Accommodations and Layout
The 391's interior was developed and developed further through the production run following the 1990 deck and fitout revision. The sandwich construction of hull and deck improves the cabin's indoor climate, a tangible liveaboard consequence of the build method rather than a cosmetic note.
Refits and Ownership
The 1990 changes are the principal documented evolution: a new and improved deck, modified rig, modified keel and rudder, and a continuously refined interior anchor. Owners shopping the model should treat pre- and post-1990 boats as distinct enough in deck and systems to warrant separate survey expectations, even though the core Södergren hull concept carried through.
The Verdict
The Finngulf 391 is a low-production Södergren performance cruiser with a deeply ballasted lead bulb fin, an unusually powerful fractional rig, and a sandwich-built hull that the record credits with a better cabin climate. Her narrow beam and heavy immersion rate suit a sailor who values stiffness and moderate-racer pedigree over marina-hop convenience, and the 1990 revisions mean a careful look at which generation any individual boat represents.
Pros
- Significantly overrigged fractional sloop with SA/D up to 23.3 under genoa
- Lead bulb fin keel with 42% ballast ratio on solid 14,330 lb displacement
- Sandwich hull and deck noted to improve indoor climate
- Continuous interior and deck development through a 1990 revision
Cons
- Draft of 1.95–2.05 m limits her to major marinas
- Fewer than 100 built, so spares and comparables are scarce
- Heavy immersion rate (218 kg/cm) penalizes loaded cruising
