Design and Construction
Archambault constructed the Sprint 95 predominantly of fibreglass, with a raked stem and a walk-through reverse transom that still reads as modern three decades on. The hull carries a fixed fin keel as standard, with an optional shoal-draft keel available for those who prize access to thin water over absolute upwind bite. At the rudder, an internally mounted spade type is steered by tiller — a choice that keeps the cockpit intimate and the helm feedback direct rather than filtered through cables and a wheel. The 1,764 lb lead ballast sits in a 4,950 lb displacement, and the 9.58-foot beam gives the hull its stance.
Rig and Handling
The Sprint 95 is rigged as a fractional sloop on aluminum spars, wearing a Bermuda rig with 570 square feet of upwind sail area. That sail plan on a 27.56-foot waterline yields a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 31.4, enough to keep her moving in modest air without demanding a crew of athletes. The Yanmar 1GM10 diesel of 10 hp is fitted expressly for docking and manoeuvring, not passage-making; with only 8 U.S. gallons of fuel and 13 of water, the design premise is clear — sail her, don't motor her. Her hull speed of 7.03 knots is the theoretical ceiling set by that waterline, and the spade rudder's tiller control gives the helmsman a tactile sense of leeway and load that a wheeled boat in this size often dulls.
Accommodations
Below, the Sprint 95 provides two cabins and the modest but functional tankage of a racer-cruiser: 100 litres of fresh water per the French yard's figures, or 13 U.S. gallons in the reference record. The 9.58-foot beam gives the interior the width to be usable rather than merely survivable, and the walk-through transom makes the swim-and-shower circuit practical in a way that a traditional stern rarely allows. This is a boat built for two to cruise short distances and four to race, not a floating apartment.
The Verdict
The Sprint 95 is a tidy expression of late-1980s French racer-cruiser thinking: a tiller-steered, spade-ruddered sloop that is light on its feet, honest about its auxiliary role, and produced in small enough numbers to feel individual without being precious. Ninety boats means you will not trip over them at every pontoon, but enough exist to find one cared for.
Pros
- Fractional sloop rig with 570 sq ft of upwind sail on a 31-foot hull keeps her responsive.
- Tiller-controlled spade rudder and walk-through reverse transom suit both racing and casual swimming.
- Optional shoal-draft keel extends her cruising grounds without a second boat.
Cons
- 8-gallon fuel and 13-gallon water capacity limit anything but coastal, sail-first use.
- Tiller steering and racer-cruiser compromises may not suit those wanting a pure cruiser's creature comforts.
