Starlight 35 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Jones's hull carries a long bow overhang and a pronounced sheer that rises from low freeboard aft to high, slightly flared bows, a profile that keeps the deck dry in heavy going. The coachroof is kept low for a clear panoramic view from the helm, and the wide decks wear a moulded-in non-slip surface. Structurally the boat uses an inner moulding bonded to the hull at the ring frames with closed-cell foam injected between, a method that provides insulation, a smooth easy-clean interior finish, and the basis for much of the furniture. The keels — offered as fin, shallow fin, or wing — are cast iron bolted to a GRP stub forming part of the hull, keeping weight low and creating a deep bilge. A deep rudder on a skeg held her tracking dead straight with little wheel effort.

Rig and Handling

The Starlight 35 carries a stout deck-stepped masthead rig on a twin-spreader Seldén mast, with generously sized standing rigging including fore and aft lower shrouds and an adjustable backstay. A fully battened mainsail works with lazyjacks and luff cars, and all control lines run under hinged cockpit covers to two Lewmar 30ST winches, while Lewmar 48ST primaries handle the large genoa. Spreaders are swept only 10° aft so the boom can fly nearly dead out without fouling. On the water she is responsive, balanced, and easy to handle, tacking confidently through 80° and pointing to 32° off the apparent wind; owners have found her docility and manoeuvrability make them feel at home, and testers noted her favourite point of sail is around 45° off the wind, where she sees 7 knots in a stiff breeze. The wing keel option is said to add lift to windward while keeping draught shallow, and testers observed it produced no more leeway than a normal fin with a damping effect that checks pitching in big seas anchor.

Accommodations

Below, the Starlight 35 offers a spacious and comfortable layout centred on a saloon with two settees — each 1.98 by 0.65 metres and excellent as sea berths — plus a starboard pull-out extension and a folding table. A forward cabin holds a double berth and hanging locker; an aft cabin repeats the double berth and locker. The L-shaped galley is large for voyaging, with two deep sinks, a big fridge, and a fully gimballed cooker fitted with crash bar and bum strap. A forward-facing Admiralty-chart-size nav table sits to port with instrument trays, and the heads aft of the nav station is fully lined with a shower seat over the toilet. Headroom in saloon and aft cabin is 1.83 metres. The cockpit is well protected with good ergonomics and room for three to work without fouling one another, served by a deep self-draining well and a tall bridge deck made safer by stainless grab bars.

Known Issues

The one ergonomic shortcoming recorded in period testing is that the primary genoa winches are mounted too far forward for the helm to reach them, which can complicate short-handed trimming on the wind.

Refits and Ownership

Several owners of larger heavy-displacement cruisers chose the 35 specifically to move into something smaller, easier to handle, and easier to maintain, and the lower engine-box step is well forward for straightforward servicing access. The MkII carried a slightly larger rig than the MkI. A fully kitted cruising example beat dedicated racers in the 1991 Round the Island Race, finishing second in Channel Handicap Class 5 within two minutes of the Britannia Cup winner and taking her non-rated division — evidence of an above-average performance envelope in a tough, long-legged bluewater hull.

The Verdict

The Starlight 35 is a thoughtfully detailed Jones cruiser that punches above her 35 feet: a foam-cored, well-insulated hull with a practical deck, a rig tuned for short-handed control, and a sea-kindly motion under wing keel. She rewards the cruising family and the serious voyager alike, though the forward winch placement is a minor concession.

Pros