Cook based the hull on his 1980 IOR One Ton class racer, Firewater. The resulting fractional sloop was intended both for one-design competition at the club and for IOR handicap racing. Production ran from 1980 to 1985, with 88 boats completed. The design is now out of production.
Design and Construction
The New York 36 is a fiberglass racing keelboat with wood trim. Its lightweight GRP layup emphasizes speed under IOR rules, carrying the lightweight theme of Cook’s Firewater racer through the design.
The hull has a raked stem and sharply reverse transom. Underwater, it carries a fixed fin keel and an internally mounted, spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller. The boat displaces 10,000 pounds, including 4,200 pounds of ballast. Beam is 11 feet 7 inches, and waterline length is 29 feet.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The New York 36 was designed as a fractional-rigged sloop, although owners often sailed the boat with masthead configurations. A taller mast was specified for the lighter wind conditions found on western Long Island Sound.
The standard fractional rig carries a mainsail of roughly 372 square feet and a 150 percent LP genoa of more than 400 square feet. The spinnaker is near 819 square feet for downwind sailing.
The fin keel and spade rudder give the boat responsive handling. The design earned a reputation as a competitive, enjoyable boat in moderate winds, particularly in 4 to 10 knots on flat water. It is less well suited to chop or light air. With a full sail inventory, the New York 36 remains suitable for one-design or PHRF club racing.
Accommodations
Despite its racing pedigree, the New York 36 has a cruising interior with sleeping accommodations for six. The forward cabin contains a double V-berth. In the main cabin, there’s a U-shaped settee, while two quarter berths lie aft.
The L-shaped galley is amidships to port and includes a two-burner stove, an icebox, and a sink. The navigation station is opposite, to starboard. Immediately aft of the forward cabin, the port-side enclosed head includes a shower.
Tankage consists of 40 gallons of fresh water and 20 gallons of fuel, supporting both weekend trips and extended cruising.
Racing History and Lineage
The design began when New York Yacht Club members asked Cook to create a boat specifically for one-design racing. The class competed actively during the annual NYYC Cruise throughout the 1980s.
Some production boats were sold to non-NYYC members on the US West Coast, where they also raced as a one-design class for a time. The limited run of 88 boats reflects this one-design focus. The New York 36 is better regarded as an American one-design racer-cruiser than as a volume-production cruising boat.
The Verdict
The New York 36 is a focused club racer with genuine cruising amenities. Cook translated IOR One Ton thinking into an accessible one-design format, producing a boat that rewards crews racing in moderate wind and flat water. Its tiller-steered spade rudder keeps the helm lively.
Limited production and the boat’s NYYC lineage make the New York 36 a distinctive find rather than a commodity boat.
Pros
- Purpose-built one-design racer with competitive IOR intent and a clear Cook design lineage
- Cruising interior for six, with an enclosed head and shower, L-shaped galley, and navigation station
- Responsive fin-keel and spade-rudder handling with tiller steering
Cons
- Less well suited to chop or light air, according to its period reputation
- Limited production contributes to sparse brokerage availability and variable class support
- Owners often modified the fractional rig to a masthead configuration, complicating one-design purity
