What sets the Selection 37 apart is its deliberate mix of comfort below and power aloft. It offers carefully planned accommodation for seven adults while carrying more sail area than all of its similar-size contemporaries.
Design and Construction
The Selection 37 measures 11.35 m overall, with a 10.9 m hull and a long waterline for her length. Beam is 10.67 ft, and the fin keel draws 6.25 ft. Her 2,422 lbs of iron ballast produces a ballast ratio of about 24 percent.
The solid-fiberglass hull has a flat aft section with what the builder described as the finest of bows. The deck is also solid fiberglass. Its most distinctive feature is the highly original layout with two companionway ladders: one leads to the saloon, while the other provides private access to the aft cabin. This arrangement separates the sleeping quarters from the main social space.
The yachting press later gave the Selection 37 a displacement-length ratio of 163, placing her among light racers rather than heavy cruisers. An immersion rate of about 1,098 lbs per inch indicates a hull that responds quickly to added weight.
Rig and Handling
The Selection 37 carries a fractional rig with a fantastic sail area. Survey literature describes her as significantly overrigged: she carries more rig than 100 percent of comparable sailboats. Her sail-area-to-displacement figure is 20.43, rising to 24.5 with a 135-percent genoa.
The deck hardware is thoughtfully arranged. Each halyard is differentiated, and all fall within easy reach of the helmsman and cockpit crew. The winches are positioned aft, allowing the crew to work from the quarters rather than at the mast.
The running rigging is generously sized for the loads produced by this powerful sail plan. The mainsail halyard is 34.4 m long and 12 mm in diameter, while the mainsheet measures 27.2 m and 14 mm.
In the right conditions, the Selection 37 can surf and approach 17 knots. Calculated and theoretical maximum speeds are more modest, ranging from about 5.6 to 7.3 knots depending on the method used.
Accommodations
Depending on the version, the Selection 37 accommodates seven adults in three cabins and provides eight berths. Saloon headroom is 1.80 m, or 5'11".
In the Owner’s version, the aft cabin contains one double berth and two bunk berths, reached by its own companionway ladder. The Royale Tour de France à la Voile edition instead has four bunk berths aft.
A central gangway runs from the saloon to the toilet compartment and navigation area. The galley is fitted with its full share of units, while stowage is ample and conveniently placed. In the Owner’s version, the saloon table seats the full complement comfortably. Jeanneau described the interior as inheriting the qualities that had established the range’s reputation for pleasure at sea.
Machinery and Tankage
The Selection 37 has an 18 hp shaft-drive diesel. Fuel capacity is 10 gallons, and water capacity is 15.6 gallons.
Known Limitations
The principal cautions stem from the boat’s performance classification. Her capsize screening value is 1.98, which places her outside the threshold accepted for ocean racing. In that regime, she is therefore a coastal and offshore cruiser rather than a recognized racer.
Her draft of roughly 6.25 ft also limits her to major marinas. For extended cruising, the 10-gallon fuel tank and 15.6-gallon water capacity are modest.
Refits and Ownership
The Selection 37’s light-racer character and powerful, overrigged sail plan reward an owner who inspects the running rigging and replaces it on schedule. The 12 mm halyards and 14 mm sheets are consumable items sized to handle substantial loads.
The two-ladder deck arrangement preserves privacy below, but it also leaves owners with two sealing rings and two companionway structures to maintain over a service life now exceeding 30 years. Production ended in 1991 after 251 boats.
The Verdict
The Selection 37 is a Jeanneau with two distinct sides: a light, powerful fractional sloop with a cockpit-oriented rig, and a roomy cruiser with a private aft cabin. She’s quick, accommodates seven adults, and has an unusual, practical layout. Her draft and capsize screening value, however, make her better suited to sheltered and coastal cruising than to bluewater racing.
Pros
- Unusual two-companionway deck layout with private access to the aft cabin
- Powerful, overrigged fractional rig with controls led aft to the cockpit
- Carefully planned accommodation for seven adults, with 5'11" saloon headroom
- Long waterline and light-racer displacement support lively surfing performance
Cons
- Draft of about 6.25 ft restricts her to major marinas
- Capsize screening value falls outside the accepted ocean-racing threshold
- Modest 10-gallon fuel and 15.6-gallon water capacities for extended cruising
