Petterson had shaped the Maxi marque since its launch in 1971. For the 108, he drew a moderate-racer profile that still reads as a practical cruiser’s hull.
Design and Construction
The hull and deck are fiberglass. The hull is solid glass, while the deck uses a sandwich laminate credited with improving the interior climate.
Buyers could choose between two iron fin keels. Depending on load, the deeper version draws 1.84 to 1.94 meters (6.04 to 6.34 feet), limiting the boat to major marinas. The slightly shallower fin draws 1.75 to 1.85 meters (5.74 to 6.04 feet), allowing access to most marinas.
The 108 has a 38 percent ballast ratio and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.16. Its displacement-length ratio is 239, placing it among moderate racers, and its wetted surface is about 36 square meters (387 square feet).
Rig and Performance
The Maxi 108 carries a masthead sloop rig. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.3 with the ISO reference sail and 19.4 with a 135 percent genoa. It carries more rig than 54 percent of comparable sailboats, a figure the review interprets as slightly overrigged.
Under power, the Volvo Penta MD11C diesel and saildrive give the boat a speed of 8.0 knots. Its theoretical displacement hull speed is 7.3 knots.
The capsize screening value is 1.84, while the Motion Comfort Ratio is 28.1. The immersion rate is near 207 kg per centimeter (1,163 pounds per inch).
Accommodations
The interior is finished in teak, in keeping with Swedish production cruisers of the period. The review identifies the material and architect but doesn’t itemize berth numbers or cabin-plan variations for this model.
The Verdict
Petterson’s late-1970s design is a moderately raced, slightly overrigged 35-footer with a sandwich deck intended to improve the interior climate. Its two iron fin-keel drafts suit different cruising grounds, although the deeper version limits marina access. The available facts describe a straightforward fiberglass cruiser-racer rather than a complex or fragile platform.
Pros
- Teak interior with a fiberglass hull and deck
- Sandwich deck noted for improving the interior climate
- Two iron fin-keel drafts broaden marina access
- Slightly overrigged masthead sloop with a genoa option
Cons
- Deeper-keel version restricted to major marinas
- Iron keels rather than lead, as listed in some databases
