Design and Construction
Alubat built the Ovni 36 with an aluminum hull and aluminum deck, rather than fitting a composite deck to a metal hull. The keel lifts vertically, reducing draft to around 1.8 feet; fully lowered, maximum draft is 6.73 feet. That range gives the boat access to shallow anchorages beyond the reach of a fixed-keel 36-foot cruiser.
The Ovni 36 displaces 12,346 pounds and carries 5,071 pounds of lead ballast. Its 41 percent ballast ratio and displacement-length ratio of 214 put it in moderate-weight territory. A 3.08 length-to-beam ratio and 419 square feet of wetted surface describe a hull with a theoretical hull speed of 7.28 knots.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig carries 775 square feet of sail area at 100 percent. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 23.29 marks the Ovni 36 as a very high performer. It is very stable and stiff and is best suited to fast cruising.
Those strengths come with a qualification: the boat has low righting capability if capsized and a capsize ratio of 2.13. A buyer should weigh those figures against any offshore ambitions. This is an inherent design trait associated with the lifting-keel configuration and modest capsize ratio, not a defect that can be repaired, but it is behavior to respect in heavy weather.
Estimated sheet lengths are 37.9 feet for the jib and genoa and 94.7 feet for the mainsheet, all sized around 14 mm in diameter. Those figures say something about the cockpit geometry and winch loads on a boat of this size.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the Ovni 36 sleeps six in two cabins plus the saloon. It has one head and 6.23 feet of headroom.
Original tankage consists of 85 gallons of water and 48 gallons of fuel. Both capacities were small from the start, and the manufacturer notes a short water-supply range. These constraints shape extended-cruising plans and help explain why so many surviving boats carry added tanks or rely on frequent replenishment.
Ownership, Refits, and Known Issues
The boat’s main shortcomings concern provisioning rather than structure. Owners living with the original tankage typically address the short water and fuel ranges by adding capacity or following disciplined cruising patterns.
With only seventy-five boats built before production ended in 2005, the Ovni 36 belongs to a small cohort of aluminum cruisers. Its aluminum hull and deck also demand the usual vigilance required by alloy construction.
The Verdict
The Ovni 36 is a specialized aluminum lifting-keel cruiser for sailors who value shallow-water access and stiff, quick passage-making over volume and self-sufficiency. Briand’s late-eighties design remains a coherent fast-cruiser proposition, provided the buyer plans around its modest original tankage and the keel configuration’s righting limitations.
Pros
- Aluminum hull and deck, with a vertically lifting keel and 1.8-foot raised draft
- Stiff, high-performing cutter rig with a 23.29 sail-area-to-displacement ratio
- Modest 39-foot length, 6.73-foot lowered draft, and 75-boat rarity
Cons
- Originally small 48-gallon fuel and 85-gallon water capacities, with short range
- Low righting capability if capsized and a 2.13 capsize ratio
- Only two cabins and one head for six berths
