What sets the RS34 apart from many limited-production performance boats of its era is its sustained early race record. Despite the class’s tiny population, several hulls achieved notable results.
Design and Construction
The RS34 is a 34-foot monohull with a 29.5-foot waterline, an 11.2-foot beam, and a draft of 6.5 feet. It displaces 7,850 pounds and carries 2,470 pounds of lead ballast in its fin keel, giving a ballast ratio of 31 percent.
Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass, making the boat a straightforward composite shell rather than a cored structure. Its displacement-length ratio of 136 puts it among light racers, while its length-to-beam ratio of 3.04 reflects a relatively narrow, purpose-built hull form.
The boat’s capsize screening value of 2.25 meant it wouldn’t qualify for ocean-racing acceptance. Its motion comfort ratio is 15.6, and its immersion rate is about 1,151 pounds per inch. Together, those figures describe a stiff, responsive hull that sits sensibly in a seaway for its size.
Rig and Handling
The RS34 has a fractional rig and a 580-square-foot sail plan. Authority data show that it carries more rig than similar sailboats, making it significantly overrigged for its length. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 21.8 with the ISO reference sail and rises to 24.8 with a 135 percent genoa. The theoretical hull speed for a displacement hull of this length is 7.3 knots.
The specified standing and running rigging dimensions are precise and generous. The mainsail, jib-genoa, and spinnaker halyards are each 33.3 meters of 10 millimeter line. Jib and genoa sheets are 10.4 meters by 12 millimeters, the mainsheet is 25.9 meters by 12 millimeters, and the spinnaker sheet is 22.8 meters long.
The bottom has about 387 square feet of wetted surface. That modest footprint helps the light hull accelerate.
Race Record and Performance
The prototype, Seren Wib, remained competitive for several years in the Irish Sea. It finished first in class in the 1984 Dun Laoghaire–Holyhead–Dun Laoghaire race and second in the IOR division at Celtic Week 1986. Other RS34s went on to extend the design’s record.
Michael Peacock’s Juno became the most successful RS34. Campaigned with grand-prix dedication, it recorded two firsts, one second, and one third at Cowes Week in 1984.
The Biggs family’s Checkmate finished second in Class 3 of the 1984 Round the Island Race, then took first at Celtic Week 1985. In 1988, it finished first in class and second overall in the RORC Irish Sea Race. That same year, Checkmate also topped Division A2 in the Irish Sea Offshore Association season points.
Chris Bonnar’s Bateleur won the Tomatin Scottish Series in 1985. Peter Cyriax’s Smokey Bear won Class 2 in the 1984 Round the Island Race, while Yellow Bird III took the 1986 Plymouth Offshore championships. It’s an impressive record for such a small class: these boats raced hard and won.
Verdict
The MG RS34 is a rare, Humphreys-designed light racer with a genuine regatta pedigree and a solid-fiberglass hull built in very small numbers. Its overrigged fractional sail plan and low displacement give it pace and responsiveness, while its modest wetted surface and 31 percent ballast ratio help keep it manageable.
With only about fifteen built, any prospective buyer will need to inspect each hull on its own merits. Even so, the design’s race history makes a strong case for the RS34 as a capable, well-bred 1980s performer.
Pros
- Humphreys design with a strong early race record in Irish Sea and Solent events
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck, with lead ballast in a fin keel
- Light-racer displacement and an overrigged fractional sail plan for lively performance
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes it from ocean-race acceptance
- Only about fifteen were built, making the boat scarce on the market
