Petterson, a two-time Olympic medallist who skippered two Swedish America’s Cup challenges, designed the boat to combine good performance and easy handling with roomy accommodation and robust construction. Built by Maxi Yachts, then trading as Börjesson Brothers, the Maxi 84 still has a distinctive profile more than four decades later.
Design and Construction
By modern standards, the Maxi 84 is fairly heavy. She displaces 6,614lb and carries 2,976lb of iron ballast, giving a 45% ballast ratio. That weight sits low: the fin keel is bolted to a stepped, moulded stub, lowering the centre of gravity and helping the hull shrug off an occasional encounter with a rock.
A relatively long keel runs aft into a skeg extending to the transom-hung rudder, a combination that promises good directional stability. A substantial portion of the rudder blade lies forward of the transom, contributing to an agreeably light helm.
Above the waterline, raised topsides above the gunwale lead to a near-flush deck and modest coachroof. Practical Boat Owner’s survey notes that the two-tone livery makes the boat’s profile unmistakable. A single window on each side sits just above a chunky, rubberised rubbing strake that caps the hull-to-deck flange. On deck, a moulded lip outboard provides a foothold when the boat is heeled and anchors the stanchion bases.
Rig and Sailing Qualities
The Maxi 84 has a period masthead rig on a Seldén mast. In-line cap shrouds and a babystay guard against inversion risk. Lowers led to chainplates a foot or so abaft the caps counter the babystay, while the cap-shroud chainplates tie into the main bulkhead with angled bars for the aft lowers.
As was common at the time, the boat carries a small mainsail and a large foretriangle. The genoa tracks sit midway along the wide side decks, with their outboard position constrained by the spreader length.
Test sailors found the Maxi 84 notably well balanced. She showed only modest weather helm, with an occasional touch of lee helm upwind, and tacks through little over 80°. That balance, together with the rudder geometry, makes her reassuring, responsive, and respectably quick to sail. Owners report stiffness and good seakeeping in heavy weather, and the boat will carry full canvas upwind in more than 20 knots of apparent wind.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The broad stern creates useful cockpit space. A port-side coaming locker—rare on later boats—provides full-depth stowage and houses the engine pull-stop, marked “Stopp.”
The bow and stern cleats have a distinctive design. Barlow supplied the genoa winches, which aren’t self-tailing. Two deck vents sit abaft the babystay and forward of the hatch garage. The GRP forehatch, moulded to the coachroof, admits light through non-pigmented resin. An anchor locker abaft the stemhead completes the foredeck stowage.
Accommodation
The near-flush deck produces wide side decks while allowing 6ft 1in of headroom across nearly the full beam, without requiring towering topsides. The traditional arrangement comprises a forecabin, heads, saloon, galley, and quarter berth, with two cabins and five berths in all.
The forward V-berth is 6ft 3in long. In the saloon, the port settee berth measures 5ft 10in, while a longer starboard berth butts against a 6ft quarter berth. The quarter berth is raised a few inches to clear the fuel tank beneath it.
The compact galley uses its space well, with a slide-out chopping board, a hinged work surface, and a sink that slides out over the heads. Nicely finished woodwork contrasts with moulded liners extending up to bunk level. On well-kept examples, a brass plate on the bulkhead still displays the boat’s registered tonnage. Stowage is provided beneath the bunks, behind the backrests, and in sliding-door lockers above.
Known Issues
The babystay that stiffens the rig can be an irritation during tacks, requiring more winching than a free-footed forestay would. Ageing hardware is the other concern. When sheaves, blocks, pulleys, tracks, and cars no longer move freely, the crew soon feels the extra effort. A buyer considering an untouched example should expect to service or replace the running gear.
Verdict
The Maxi 84 earned its production numbers by being genuinely usable. She’s heavy enough to settle into a seaway, light on the helm, and roomy for her length. The rig has some period quirks, but they’re manageable, and the accommodation remains sensible today.
Pros
- Well-balanced helm, light steering, and good directional stability
- Roomy, full-beam interior with a practical galley and berth layout
- Robust stub-keel construction that tolerates groundings
Cons
- Babystay slows and complicates tacking
- Non-self-tailing Barlow winches and ageing hardware require upkeep
