Santana 35 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Turner combined genuine racing potential with practical weekend accommodation. The result is a beamy, moderately light 35-footer with room for eight and a sail plan intended for powered-up racing as much as casual cruising.

Design and Construction

The Santana 35 is 35 feet overall, with a 26.5-foot waterline, an 11.92-foot beam, and a displacement of 8,500 pounds. It carries 3,300 pounds of lead ballast.

Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass with wood trim. The monohull has a raked stem and reverse transom. Its fixed fin keel draws 6.25 feet, while an internally mounted spade rudder is controlled by a tiller.

A length-to-beam ratio of 2.94 places the Santana 35 among the beamier boats in its class. It is roomier below than 79% of comparable sailboats, a useful advantage in a 35-footer expected to serve as both racer and cruiser. The displacement-length ratio of 204 puts the design in the “moderate racer” category, so that interior volume doesn’t come with an overly heavy, sluggish hull.

With an immersion rate of about 1,100 pounds per inch, the boat responds predictably to load changes in ballast and stores.

Rig and Handling

The Santana 35 is a fractional sloop with aluminum spars and a Bermuda rig. Its mainsail and jib provide roughly 550 square feet of total sail area.

The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 21.0 with the ISO reference sail and rises to 24.4 with a 135% genoa. Yacht Database consequently rates it faster in light wind than 93% of similar boats.

The boat is also significantly overrigged relative to its peers, carrying more rig than 93% of comparable sailboats. Long halyards—33.3 meters for the main, jib, and spinnaker—and substantial sheet diameters, including up to 14 mm for the mainsheet, reflect a sail plan designed for powered-up racing as much as casual cruising.

Auxiliary power comes from a Volvo Penta MD7A diesel driving a shaft. Calculated maximum speed under power is about 4.7 knots, while theoretical displacement hull speed is 6.9 knots.

Accommodations

Below deck, the Santana 35 has two cabins and sleeping space for eight. The main cabin contains two straight settee berths and two pilot berths, while two aft cabins each provide a double berth.

The galley is to port beside the companionway ladder and includes a two-burner stove, ice box, and sink. The navigation station sits opposite, to starboard. Forward, the head is located in the bow forepeak and includes a shower. Fresh-water and fuel capacities are each 20 US gallons.

It’s a compact but functional arrangement. The broad beam helps provide genuine separation between the sleeping and working spaces.

Performance Envelope and Limits

The Motion Comfort Ratio is a modest 16.6, making the Santana 35 more comfortable than only 8% of similar designs. That marks it as a stiff, responsive platform rather than a soft-riding cruiser.

Its capsize screening value of 2.33 means the boat would not qualify for ocean racing under that metric. That is a useful limit to keep in mind when weighing offshore ambitions against the design’s coastal-cruising and club-racing intent.

Ownership and Variants

With 115 boats built before production ended in 1983, the Santana 35 is a finite, well-defined class. The 1984 Schock 35 shares its hull but has a different mast and keel, so owners should confirm which variant they have when sourcing spars or keel-related parts.

The solid-fiberglass hull and deck, tiller steering, and shaft-drive diesel also keep the boat’s systems straightforward for DIY-minded owners.

The Verdict

The Santana 35 is a Turner-designed racer-cruiser that trades ultimate offshore credentials for light-air speed, beamy interior volume, and a clear, serviceable layout. It suits sailors who want club-racing pace without giving up accommodation for eight.

Pros