Freedom 35 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Pedrick's underwater lines are modestly round and full at the turn of the bilge, then flatten toward the stern to let the hull surf when pressed anchor. The structure itself pairs skins of biaxial and unidirectional E-glass with vinylester resin over an end-grain balsa core, a hand-laid sandwich bonded with both vinylester and polyester for strength-to-weight and blister resistance anchor. The hull-to-deck joint is a 3-inch reverse flange bonded with 3M-5200 and through-bolted on 6-inch centers with stainless carriage bolts passing through the anodized aluminum toe rail anchor. Bulkheads are glassed directly to the hull, furniture is fastened to them, and solid fiberglass transverse supports sit under the floorboards. A 10-year transferable warranty against hull blistering backs the build.

Rig and Handling

The defining feature is the carbon fiber, freestanding mast that removes shrouds, backstay, spreaders, and chainplates from the equation entirely anchor. Because nothing constrains the sail plan aft, the boat carries a large full-batten main with generous roach, and the standard foresail is a self-tacking Camberspar working jib whose internal wishbone shapes the lower luff upwind and wings out downwind anchor. The unstayed spar is lighter than a conventional aluminum mast, which keeps weight out of the rig and helps the boat stay upright; Freedom later moved spar construction to Goetz Marine Technologies, which the builder claimed produced a lighter, stiffer stick, and the builder reported no rig failures on the 35 before or after that change anchor. A hard fixed vang manages the mainsail without backstay tension. Sail controls—mainsheet, jib sheet, halyards, reef lines—run through turning blocks and Lewmar stoppers to Harken winches on the cabin roof, and virtually every sailing and motoring function can be handled from the cockpit.

Under sail the helm shows a slight weather helm, yet test sails in 20-plus knots saw the hull heeled less than 10 degrees while reaching at or near 8 knots, touching 8.6 on one tack anchor. Owners describe quick, accurate steering through the Edson wheel and whale-tail rudder, and the balanced sail plan lets the boat spin through 80 to 85 degrees upwind in a tight radius anchor. One owner noted very little weather helm even in gale-warning winds and called reefing simple with minimal speed loss, though the main should be reefed sooner than later as wind builds anchor. The standard rig carries a PHRF average of 114.

Accommodations

Below, the saloon is finished in cherry and teak with a holly-and-teak sole, five opening ports, a main hatch, and 6 feet 2 inches of headroom anchor. A drop-down table stows against the port bulkhead and louvered doors conceal outboard stowage. The L-shaped galley holds deep stainless sinks, a gimbaled Force 10 stove with oven and broiler, and a large insulated icebox with a separate provisions compartment anchor. The head sits to starboard of the companionway with its own shower stall and wet locker. Forward and aft cabins each have two opening ports and a hatch, the aft with a generous athwartships berth; both offer 6 feet 1 inch of standing headroom behind closed doors and 6-foot-7 bunks anchor. A nav station places instrumentation above the starboard settee near the electrical panel.

Known Issues

The galley draws mixed owner feedback: two Practical Sailor survey respondents specifically bemoaned the lack of counter space, and the boat ships with no standard foot pumps for fresh or salt water in either the galley or head anchor. Early hull #1, rigged with a 120% Mylar genoa, proved fast but lacked a dedicated mainsheet winch and carried an undersized traveler anchor. The unstayed carbon rig also carries a cost premium of roughly ten thousand dollars over an equivalent aluminum spar and standing rigging, though some of that is offset by the absence of chainplates and related structures anchor.

The Verdict

The Freedom 35 is a thoughtfully executed cruiser-racer that trades conventional rigging complexity for a clean deck and a powerful, easily managed sail plan. Its construction is conservative where it counts and clever where it shows, and the cockpit-centric control layout suits short-handed sailing. The galley compromises and rig premium are real, but the boat's poise under sail and below-deck comfort make the tradeoffs understandable.

Pros