Beneath that nickname is a serious IOR-era racer-cruiser. Her swept-back fin keel, skeg-hung rudder, and hull shaped for handicap-rule performance reflect a boat designed more for racing than casual lounging.
Design and Construction
The She 31’s hull was optimized for racing under the IOR handicap system. Pinched bow and stern sections, tumblehome amidships, and a sharp bow profile give her a lean, race-bred silhouette. She has a fiberglass hull with an iron fin keel, carefully faired into the hull. Ballast is quoted at 1,542 kg (3,400 lbs).
The swept-back fin keel is paired with a skeg-hung rudder, an arrangement that provides good directional control and protection from grounding or collision damage. The fiberglass deck has a molded nonskid surface suited to a wet-footed crew.
Period build practice at South Hants used hand-laid laminates to Lloyds 100 A1 standards and a proprietary ‘Shedeck’ resin finish over the deck, although the authority review itself mentions only the molded nonskid. At 7,800 lbs displacement on a 22-foot waterline, with a ballast-displacement ratio of 43.6 percent, the She 31 sits firmly at the dense, seakindly end of the 31-foot spectrum.
Rig, Deck, and Handling
The She 31 carries a masthead sloop rig on an aluminum mast. The mast is deck-stepped on a tabernacle, allowing it to be lowered for canal or bridge passages—a genuine cruising convenience inherited from the boat’s cross-Channel context. It has two sets of spreaders, while the standing rigging is stainless steel wire with swaged terminals and turnbuckles.
Sail area is 410 sq ft. The mainsail has slab reefing with two reef points, and the genoa is fitted with roller furling for easier handling.
On the water, the review describes the She 31 as fast, close-winded, and stable in nearly all sea conditions. The skeg-hung rudder is connected to a tiller that gives the helmsman good feedback.
The cockpit is spacious and protected by high coamings. Its seats are long enough to sleep on, with lockers beneath them. Deck hardware is simple but functional: two primary winches, two halyard winches, two genoa tracks, two spinnaker poles, and an anchor locker.
Accommodations
The earliest She 31 had a limited interior with very little headroom, especially in the forecabin, reflecting the boat’s original racing orientation. In response to public demand, the builder developed the 9.5 Traveller, a cruising version of the same hull with a redesigned deck, taller topsides, and more living space.
The Traveller has a traditional layout. A V-berth lies forward, while the saloon contains two settee berths with folding pilot berths above. The galley is to starboard, the navigation station to port, and a quarter berth is fitted aft. There is also a separate head compartment with a marine toilet and washbasin.
The interior is finished with varnished mahogany veneers, and saloon headroom is 1.78 m (5 ft 11 in). The base review nevertheless describes the She 31 proper as having a spacious, comfortable interior with plenty of headroom and stowage, suggesting that later or revised fit-outs brought the boat to that standard.
The Verdict
The She 31 wears her Sparkman & Stephens and IOR pedigree with grace. She is a quick, close-winded sloop with a carefully faired iron fin keel, a protected skeg-hung rudder, and a fiberglass hull.
Her tabernacle-mounted mast and roller-furling genoa add practical cruising features, while the Traveller’s development shows that the builder responded to demand for more headroom and a proper cabin. The result is a compact, capable boat with a warm nickname and a serious bloodline.
Pros
- Fast, close-winded, and stable across most sea states
- Skeg-hung rudder provides protection from grounding and collision damage
- Tabernacle mast can be lowered for inland waterways
- Iron fin keel carefully faired into the hull
- Spacious, well-coamed cockpit with stowage beneath the seats
Cons
- Original interior was limited, with poor forecabin headroom
- Simple deck hardware assumes owner-handled sail changes
