Design and Construction
Brett's Rival 36 is built around a solid fiberglass hull laid up to Lloyd's 100A1 structural standard, with the signature keyhole bulkhead layout that gave his Rival range its companionway rigidity. At 14,250 pounds displacement on a 27'2" waterline and an 11-foot beam, she is firmly in the ultra-heavy displacement category, a Displacement/Length Ratio of 317 confirming that load hardly dents her performance. The 39.2 percent Ballast/Displacement Ratio places 5,580 pounds of lead low in a fin keel, and the 1.82 Capsize Screening Formula marks her as a safer ocean-passage candidate than a boat exceeding 2.0. The sailing press reviewed the Rival 36 positively, praising its heavy weather comfort, proven seakeeping ability, and solid construction.
Rig and Handling
The boat was offered with cutter rig as standard, while a furling headsail was an option — a flexibility that lets owners tailor balance to taste. Her Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 15.7 means she will need a stiff breeze to get her going, and in light conditions motor-sailing may be necessary. The same ballast ratio that steadies her downwind also means she will have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust and needs to be reefed early in a moderate breeze. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 30.4 puts her seaway motion close to a moderate bluewater cruising boat, and because she is so heavy, loading her up as much as you like leaves her performance hardly affected.
Accommodations and Ownership
As an aft-cockpit cutter of just under 36 feet, the Rival 36 follows Brett's keyhole-bulkhead interior logic. The Rival Owners Association exists for the 78 hulls afloat, a useful point of contact given how few were built. The company that built her passed through takeovers and mergers featuring Bowman, Starlight, and Rustler before ceasing production in the early 1990s, but the design itself remains Brett's sign-off on the marque he founded.
The Verdict
The Rival 36 is a low-production, genuinely heavy-displacement cruiser from the hand that started Rival. She is not a light-air performer and must be reefed early, but her seakeeping, structural certification, and forgiving load-carrying mark her as a serious passage boat for the sailor who values steadiness over sparkle.
Pros
- Lloyd's 100A1 solid-GRP construction with keyhole bulkhead rigidity
- Capsize Screening Formula of 1.8 and proven heavy-weather comfort
- Ultra-heavy displacement carries load without measurable performance loss
- Rare centreboard and Scheel-keel variants widen cruising range
Cons
- Sail Area/Displacement of 15.7 demands wind or motor-sailing
- Heels excessively in gusts; early reefing required
- Only 78 built, limiting spares-network familiarity
