Design and Construction
The 370 has a solid-fiberglass hull, a material choice that keeps in-season maintenance to a minimum. Her beam is 11 feet 3 inches, and her waterline length is just under 33 feet. A length-to-beam ratio of 3.29 makes her slimmer than 58 percent of comparable sailboat designs, and Södergren appears to have used that narrowness to produce a slightly quicker hull form.
She displaces 13,669 pounds and carries 5,512 pounds of lead ballast, or 40 percent of displacement. That figure is higher than those of 54 percent of similar designs and gives her above-average resistance to heeling.
The ballast is concentrated in a bulb on the fin keel, lowering the center of gravity and increasing righting moment while holding draft to roughly six feet—about 1.85 to 1.95 meters, depending on load. Compared with a full keel, this fin-and-bulb arrangement gives the boat noticeably sharper maneuverability, though at the cost of some directional stability.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Swedestar 370 has a fractional rig carrying 741 square feet of mainsail and jib area. Its smaller headsails make tacking easier, whether the boat is being cruised or raced. Sailing dead downwind, however, generally calls for a gennaker or spinnaker to keep her moving efficiently.
Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 21.0 with the ISO reference sail and 24.5 with a 135 percent genoa. Those figures make her quicker in light wind than 90 percent of similar boats. The rig is also significantly overcanvased next to 85 percent of her peers.
A capsize screening value of 1.89 suggests that, on this measure alone, she would meet the standard ocean-race acceptance formula. The fin keel gives her more agility than a full keel but less straight-line tracking—a tradeoff every buyer should assess under sail.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the 370 has five berths and carries 68 gallons, or 260 liters, of fresh water. Those are the only documented accommodation facts, but they describe a boat capable of sleeping a small crew or family on extended trips without the tankage demands of a heavier cruiser.
A 26-gallon diesel tank complements the water capacity. Together, the figures point toward coastal and moderate offshore passages rather than indefinite independence.
Known Issues
Draft is the one operational limitation worth flagging. With crew and gear aboard, the keel reaches roughly six feet, so the boat can only use major marinas. That limits where she can lie alongside or be hauled easily. This draft constraint is the only known operational caveat.
The Verdict
The Swedestar 370 is a thoughtfully proportioned Scandinavian cruiser-racer. Södergren gave her a slim, mildly speedy hull and a ballast ratio that helps her resist heeling better than most comparable boats. Her fractional rig and generous sail plan also make her genuinely quick when the breeze is soft.
The bulb keel keeps draft sane for six feet of foil, but that draft still limits her to larger harbors. She suits sailors who value responsiveness and light-air performance over anonymous stability.
Pros
- Fractional rig makes tacking easier for cruisers and racers alike
- Sail-area-to-displacement ratio makes her quicker in light air than 90 percent of similar designs
- Ballast ratio is higher than those of 54 percent of comparable boats, providing above-average resistance to heeling
- Solid-fiberglass hull requires minimal in-season maintenance
- Capsize screening value meets the ocean-race formula threshold
Cons
- Draft of 1.85–1.95 meters restricts her to major marinas
- Fin keel trades directional stability for maneuverability
- Efficient downwind sailing generally requires a gennaker or spinnaker
