Townson 34 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Hull type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

34' · 10.36 m

Displ.

12,125 lbs · 5,500 kg

First year

1977

The Townson 34 represents a pivotal moment in the career of legendary New Zealand designer Des Townson, serving as a sophisticated evolution of his renowned "Moonlight" (Townson 32) series. While Townson was historically a staunch advocate for coldmolded wooden construction, the Townson 34 was famously the design where he permitted the transition to fiberglass (GRP). This was largely facilitated through a collaboration with Austral Yachts, which manufactured approximately 22 units starting in the late 1970s. Despite the change in material, the vessel retained the classic Townson "smile"—the characteristic curve of the cabin top and sheerline that defined his aesthetic. The boat was designed not to fit a specific rating rule but to be a "fast gulf cruiser," a philosophy that prioritize balanced handling and aesthetic grace over the distorted hull shapes often produced by the IOR rules of the era.