Design and Construction
Marc Lombard's hull for the RM 1350 is a composite epoxy-plywood shell with a published twin-keel configuration, though the builder also offered a single fin keel and a lifting keel as alternatives. The bilge-keel arrangement is a twin-keel form that lets the boat take to a beach at low water, a practical advantage for owners who cruise shallow estuaries or want maintenance access without a slip. Her length overall of 13.7 meters and beam of 4.5 meters yield a length-to-beam ratio of 3.04, which makes her roomier below than the large majority of comparable sailboat designs. The displacement-to-length ratio of 122 puts her among the light racers, meaning she needs less sail area to reach her 8.7-knot hull speed than a heavier hull would.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig provides versatility in sail handling and is especially useful in heavy weather, where the ability to swap down to a solent or reefed headsail matters more than raw area. The sail plan carries a 569-square-foot mainsail, a 634-square-foot genoa, a 333-square-foot solent, and a 1,616-square-foot spinnaker, with an I measurement of 54 feet 2 inches and a J of 16 feet 9 inches. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.4 leaves her somewhat underpowered against a true racing yacht, but the light displacement means she is well balanced for coastal sailing with moderate performance rather than all-out speed. Sheet estimates run to a 112-foot mainsheet and 45-foot genoa sheets at 5/8-inch diameter, sizing that reflects the generous rig.
Accommodations and Layout
Below, the RM 1350 is equipped with seven berths, a count that supports either a large cruising family or a charter program. The 600-liter fresh water capacity (about 158 US gallons) is generous for a boat of this length and underlines her coastal-cruising intent, where tankage rather than offshore range sets the rhythm of passage planning. The wetted surface of roughly 667 square feet and immersion rate near 386 kg per centimeter describe a hull that sits lightly and responds to loading without dramatic trim change.
Performance Profile
The comfort ratio of about 20.3 places her motion in the band of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, and the capsize screening figure of 2.2 means she is more suited to shorelines than bluewater passages — a value that would exclude her from ocean races. Her beam and displacement do leave her more vulnerable to capsizing in extreme conditions than designs with a lower screening number, so the boat is best read as a well-balanced cruiser for temperate coasts rather than a globe-circling expedition vessel.
The Verdict
The RM 1350 is a thoughtfully engineered light-displacement cruiser that trades offshore severity for coastal ease, beachable twin keels, and a roomy beam-driven interior. Lombard's cutter rig and plywood-composite hull make her a distinctive alternative to heavier production boats, but the capsize screening and moderate sail plan confirm her as a coastline boat rather than a passage-maker.
Pros
- Beachable twin-keel (or fin/lifting) configuration for shallow access
- Roomy beam-to-length ratio exceeds most similar designs
- Light displacement reaches hull speed with modest sail area
- Seven berths and 158-gallon water capacity suit coastal cruising
Cons
- Capsize screening above 2.0 limits bluewater suitability
- Sail-area-to-displacement ratio leaves her underpowered versus racers
- Ballast figure not published, limiting load comparison
