At just under 42 feet on deck, the Olympic 42 is a substantial, heavy-displacement cruiser intended for bluewater passages. Her proportions and temperament belong to a serious offshore vessel rather than a coastal weekender.
Design and Construction
Brewer conceived the Olympic 42 as a heavy-displacement cruiser with a generous sail plan and excellent light-air capability. The hull and deck are fiberglass. The deck uses sandwich construction, which is said to improve the indoor climate. The interior is finished in mahogany, as were many production cruisers of the period.
Her capsize screening value is 1.77, while the Motion Comfort Ratio is 35.0. Both figures sit comfortably within the envelope of a stable offshore hull. The underwater body has about 441 square feet of wetted surface. Sources differ on displacement and related dimensions.
Rig and Handling
The ketch is the configuration most commonly referenced for this hull, and it suits the boat’s intended purpose. The two-masted layout provides multiple sail combinations for changing conditions and makes sail handling easier. Its balanced performance also makes the Olympic 42 well suited to shorthanded sailing and long-distance passages.
The standard ketch sail plan includes:
- A 316-square-foot mainsail
- A 367-square-foot jib
- A 568-square-foot genoa
- A 150-square-foot mizzen
- A 126-square-foot storm jib
With the ISO reference sail, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.0. That rises to 18.5 with a 135 percent genoa. These modest numbers reflect the heavy hull rather than any racing bias, but the generous canvas provides enough power to keep her moving when the breeze is thin.
Accommodations and Cruising Character
Good Old Boat describes the model as a bluewater-capable cruiser with spacious accommodations, solid construction, and good seakeeping. Her beam and mahogany interior support that roomy cruising brief.
Draft is around five feet, depending on load, allowing her to enter most marinas. Because the production run was limited, each example has the cachet of a limited-production boat rather than a mass-market product.
Propulsion and Performance Under Power
The record lists two engine options: a Volvo Penta and a Perkins, both driving through a shaft. Calculated maximum speed is about 7.5 knots with the Volvo Penta and 7.3 knots with the Perkins. The theoretical maximum speed for a displacement hull of this length is 7.7 knots.
The immersion rate is about 1,494 pounds per inch. This measures how deeply the boat settles for a given added weight, making it relevant when provisioning for an ocean crossing.
Verdict
The Olympic 42 is a limited-production, Ted Brewer-designed, heavy-displacement ketch built for serious bluewater cruising rather than dockside posing. Her generous sail plan and two-masted rig make her manageable offshore and capable in light air. Her comfort and capsize figures also support the stable, seakindly character intended by the design brief.
She isn’t fast by modern standards, but she was never meant to be.
Pros
- Heavy-displacement Brewer cruiser with strong comfort and capsize-screening figures
- Ketch rig eases sail handling for shorthanded crews and long-distance passages
- Generous standard sail plan supports good light-air performance
- Fiberglass sandwich deck and mahogany interior reflect considered cruising construction
Cons
- Limited production means fewer examples and a thinner support network than for mass-market boats
- Modest sail-area-to-displacement ratios favor passage-making over spirited sailing
