Design and Construction
Barberis Shipyards committed to offshore racing with this design in 1975, and the result is unmistakably a racing hull anchor: the lines are those of a racing boat, with a very pronounced maximum beam and a waterline length that is not inconsiderable relative to the overall length. Peterson took direct advantage of the IOR tonnage regulations to extract the best result within the class rating, and the boat was campaigned in the 3/4 Ton Cup in Norway soon after launch. The hull itself is solid fiberglass, while the deck is a fiberglass sandwich using polyurethane and marine plywood. Below, the cabin stands 1.90 meters tall, and the outward profile — flush deck, small deckhouse — reinforces the racing intent rather than cruising comfort.
Rig and Sail Plan
The sail plan is typical for a racing boat, built around a soundproof light-alloy mast carrying internal halyards for the spinnaker, mistragon, and mainsail, paired with a light-alloy boom fitted with a reefing device for rapid reef take-up via winch and a hoist to tension the mainsheet. Four sails came with the boat as standard: mainsail, medium genoa, jib, and storm jib. Two engine options were offered — a 12-hp Farymann and a larger 20-hp Farymann.
Accommodations
Boretti's interior is a study in packing seven berths, two of them doubles, into ten and a half meters without abandoning a racer's discipline. The galley is large for the size and includes a swinging stove, sink, refrigerator, a chest-cellar, and a drawer-basket for fruit, with a hatch-bin for garbage. The single toilet room was built in Fibraclas unibloc with shower, recovery box, and automatic discharge pump. A large, streamlined charting nook serves the navigator, and the waxing cabinet has its own scuppers for water drainage. Two decoration schemes were offered: one in Tanganyika walnut with beige and brown tones, the other in naga wood with blue and white dominant colors.
The Verdict
The Show 34 is a rule-driven racer that wears its IOR pedigree openly — a beamy, flush-decked Peterson hull with a Boretti interior that somehow seats seven. She is a period expression of the 3/4 Ton idea, not a cruiser with racing lines, and the sandwich deck over a solid-glass hull is the honest construction of her era.
Pros
- Racing-bred hull by Douglas Peterson with pronounced beam and strong waterline length
- Four sails standard and a soundproof alloy mast with internal halyards
- Seven berths including two doubles in just over 33 feet
- Large galley and streamlined chart nook from Boretti's layout
Cons
- Flush deck and racing focus limit cruising amenity
- Single toilet room for seven berths
- Deck sandwich construction with plywood core invites scrutiny where aged
