At 38'1" overall, with a 30'8" waterline and a 12'5" beam, the 37 is notably broad. That beam serves the accommodations rather than looking like a styling exercise. Displacement is 14,111 lbs, including 4,630 lbs of ballast.
Design and Construction
The hull has moderate proportions, a flattened bottom through the midsection, and a small skeglet aft. Its raked spade rudder carries about 15 percent balance area.
Buyers could choose between two keels, drawing either 5'1" or 6'9". With a D/L of 220 and an L/B of 3.07, the Grand Soleil 37 sits squarely in the performance-cruiser category rather than the heavy-displacement cruising camp.
Cantiere del Pardo built the hulls in fiberglass, using an internal structural system to carry the keel, shroud, and mast loads.
Rig and Handling
The Grand Soleil 37 has a double-spreader masthead-sloop rig with swept-back spreaders, in-line lowers, and forward lowers. Two rig heights were available from the factory.
The shorter rig has a 42'8" foretriangle height and carries 569 sq ft of sail, giving an SA/D of 15.6. The tall rig increases I to 48'3" and sail area to 650 sq ft, raising SA/D to 17.81. The standard boat is therefore modestly powered for its 14,111-lb displacement, while the tall rig was the obvious answer for owners seeking more drive in light air.
Steering is through the balanced spade rudder, which keeps helm effort low and gives responsive tracking in this moderate hull.
Accommodations
Two basic interior layouts were offered. The three-cabin version has mirror-image, quarter-berth-type staterooms to port and starboard, creating symmetrical accommodation aft.
The two-cabin arrangement omits the port stateroom and expands the starboard athwartships cabin into a roomy double berth. This also frees space to port for a large lazarette locker and adds a shower stall to the single head.
The hull’s beam is most evident below, where the width translates directly into enclosed volume rather than wasted side decks. Of the two layouts, the two-cabin version makes the more inventive use of the hull.
Engine and Tankage
Auxiliary power comes from a Yanmar 3GM30 27-horsepower diesel driving a single shaft. Tankage is 33.7 gallons of fuel and 72.7 gallons of water.
Those capacities are better suited to coastal and medium-range cruising than to long passages without jerry-can discipline. The 27 hp engine is proportionate to the 14,111-lb hull rather than excessive.
Verdict
The Grand Soleil 37 is a thoughtfully proportioned Italian performance cruiser whose beam earns its keep below rather than serving as cosmetic flare. The choice of two rigs lets buyers match sail area to their light-air ambitions, while the balanced spade rudder keeps the boat manageable. Its flattened midsection and moderate D/L make for a predictable, modern hull, and the two-cabin interior is the more inventive use of the available space.
Pros
- Two interior layouts, with the two-cabin version gaining a large double berth, lazarette, and proper shower
- Choice of standard or tall rig to suit different light-air priorities
- Beamy hull whose width is justified by the accommodations
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
