Design and Construction
Archambault built the Sprint 95 predominantly of fibreglass. The hull has a raked stem and a walk-through reverse transom, a feature that still looks modern three decades later. A fixed fin keel was standard, while an optional shoal-draft keel traded some upwind bite for better access to shallow water.
An internally mounted spade rudder is controlled by a tiller. This arrangement keeps the cockpit intimate and provides direct helm feedback without the cables and wheel of a steering system. The boat displaces 4,950 lb, including 1,764 lb of lead ballast, and has a beam of 9.58 feet.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Sprint 95 carries a fractional sloop Bermuda rig on aluminum spars, with 570 square feet of upwind sail area. Combined with a 27.56-foot waterline, that produces a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 31.4—enough to keep the boat moving in modest air without requiring a crew of athletes.
The spade rudder and tiller give the helmsman a tactile sense of leeway and load that wheel steering can dull on a boat of this size. Its theoretical hull speed, set by the waterline, is 7.03 knots.
A 10 hp Yanmar 1GM10 diesel is fitted expressly for docking and manoeuvring, not passage-making. With only 8 U.S. gallons of fuel and 13 U.S. gallons of water, the design premise is clear: sail rather than motor.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the Sprint 95 has two cabins and the modest but functional tankage expected of a racer-cruiser. The French yard’s figures list 100 litres of fresh water, while the reference record gives a capacity of 13 U.S. gallons. The 9.58-foot beam makes the interior usable rather than merely survivable.
At the stern, the walk-through transom makes swimming and showering more practical than they would be from a traditional stern. Overall, this is a boat intended for two people cruising short distances or four racing—not a floating apartment.
Verdict
The Sprint 95 is a tidy example of late-1980s French racer-cruiser thinking: a tiller-steered, spade-ruddered sloop that’s light on its feet, honest about the limited role of its auxiliary engine, and produced in small enough numbers to feel individual without being precious. With ninety boats built, you won’t find one at every pontoon, but enough exist to make finding a cared-for example possible.
Pros
- A fractional sloop rig with 570 sq ft of upwind sail on a 31-foot hull keeps the boat responsive.
- The tiller-controlled spade rudder and walk-through reverse transom suit both racing and casual swimming.
- An optional shoal-draft keel extends the boat’s cruising grounds without requiring a second boat.
Cons
- Fuel capacity of 8 U.S. gallons and water capacity of 13 U.S. gallons limit the boat to coastal, sail-first use.
- Tiller steering and racer-cruiser compromises may not suit sailors looking for a pure cruiser’s creature comforts.
