Design and Construction
Macalpine-Downie’s late-1980s drawings produced a fiberglass catamaran with solid-fiberglass hulls and deck. At 32 feet overall, with a 30-foot waterline, a 13.33-foot beam, and a displacement of 6,150 pounds, the boat falls into the light-displacement class.
The length-to-beam ratio is 2.40, unusually narrow for a multihull. Its displacement-length ratio of 101.69 places it among what reviewers termed “light racers” rather than cruising ballast boats.
A centreboard keel provides variable draft of roughly 1.51 to 1.81 feet, depending on load. This allows the hulls to be dried out and lets the boat tuck into shallow anchorages that a fixed-keel multihull couldn’t reach.
Rig and Handling
The Ultimate Concepts 32 carries a masthead sloop rig. This straightforward arrangement places the genoa’s clew low and forward for windward work. Together with the light-displacement hull and narrow beam, the rig reinforces the boat’s character as a light racer first.
The liftable centreboard lets the crew alter the underwater profile. Lowering the board provides more grip to windward, while raising it preserves the boat’s shoal-water freedom as conditions and moorings demand.
Accommodations
The narrow 2.40 length-to-beam ratio suggests that living space was secondary to the racing brief. However, the available material doesn’t itemize how the interior volume was used.
Verdict
The Ultimate Concepts 32 is a specialized late-1980s catamaran that wears its light-racer pedigree openly. It’s a solid-fiberglass Macalpine-Downie design, built by Carlson Marine with a liftable centreboard and masthead sloop rig.
The boat will appeal to buyers who value shallow draft and low displacement over cabin volume, and who understand that it was drawn as a performer rather than a floating condominium.
Pros
- Light-displacement catamaran with a 101.69 displacement-length ratio and genuine light-racer character
- Centreboard keel provides 1.51–1.81 ft of variable draft for shoal cruising
- Masthead sloop rig keeps the sail plan simple and oriented toward windward work
Cons
- Narrow 2.40 length-to-beam ratio limits accommodation breadth
