Design and Construction
The hull form is moderate, with a flattened bottom through the midsection and a small skeglet aft, paired to a raked spade rudder carrying about 15 percent balance area anchor. Two keel options were offered — a 5'1" draft and a 6'9" draft — and the moderate hull with a D/L of 220 and an L/B of 3.07 places her squarely in the performance-cruiser band rather than the heavy-displacement cruising camp. Cantiere del Pardo built the hulls in fiberglass with an internal structural approach carrying keel, shroud, and mast loads.
Rig and Handling
The 37 carries a double-spreader masthead-sloop rig with swept-back spreaders and both in-line and forward lowers, and two rig heights were available from the factory. The shorter rig shows a 42'8" foretriangle height and an SA/D of 15.6 with 569 sq ft of sail, while the tall rig extends to 48'3" I and lifts SA/D to 17.81 across 650 sq ft anchor. That spread means the standard boat is modestly powered for her 14,111-lb displacement, and the tall rig was the obvious answer for owners who wanted more drive in light air. Steering is through the balanced spade rudder, which keeps helm effort low and tracking responsive in the moderate hull.
Accommodations
Two basic layouts were offered. The three-cabin version uses mirror-image port and starboard quarter-berth-type staterooms, giving symmetric aft accommodation. The two-cabin layout drops the port stateroom and grows the starboard athwartships cabin into a roomy double berth, while freeing space to port for a large lazarette locker and adding a shower stall to the single head anchor. The beam that the hull needed for its interior is most visible here: the width translates directly into enclosed volume rather than wasted side decks.
Equipment and Power
The auxiliary is a Yanmar 3GM30 27-horsepower diesel turning a single shaft, with tankage for 33.7 gallons of fuel and 72.7 gallons of water anchor. Those figures suit coastal and medium-range cruising more than long passages without jerry-can discipline, and the 27 hp rating is proportionate to a 14,111-lb hull rather than overpowered.
The Verdict
The Grand Soleil 37 is a thoughtfully proportioned Italian performance cruiser whose beam is put to work as interior volume, not cosmetic flare. The two-rig choice lets a buyer match sail area to his light-air ambitions, and the balanced spade rudder keeps her manageable. The flattened midsection and moderate D/L give a predictable, modern hull, while the two-cabin layout is the more inventive use of the shell.
Pros
- Two interior layouts, with the two-cabin version gaining a big double berth, lazarette, and proper shower
- Choice of standard or tall rig to tune light-air performance
- Beamy hull whose width is justified by accommodation needs
Cons
- Standard-rig SA/D of 15.6 is modest for the displacement
- Spade rudder without skeg protection is more exposed to impact
- Fuel capacity of 33.7 gallons limits unrefueled range
