Design and Construction
Perry gave the Esprit 37 a sharply raked stem, a handsome sheer, and a well-resolved canoe stern. Beneath that purposeful, seaworthy profile is a hand-laminated, solid-fiberglass hull. The 6,300-pound lead keel is secured with 3/4-inch stainless-steel hook bolts cast into the lead.
The deck is a separate, hand-laminated, balsa-cored structure, chosen for strength, low weight, and sound and thermal insulation. With age, however, the core may soften where moisture has entered around hardware and fastenings.
Nordic Yachts boats built from 1977 to 1980 have been relatively free of blisters. A number of Uniflite-built hulls from 1980 to 1982 showed blistering on both sides of the waterline. Later boats used an isophthalic resin immune to that problem.
The Valiant 37 measures 37 feet overall, with a 31-foot-7-inch waterline and an 11-foot-5-inch beam. Displacement is 17,000 pounds.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The deck layout would do justice to a Grand Prix racing yacht. The boat has a keel-stepped masthead rig, and its chainplates are set inboard of the toerail without seriously obstructing the side decks. Earlier boats had wire rigging, although Nordic Yachts fitted Navtec rod rigging to some hulls from 1979 onward.
Under sail, the Valiant 37 is beautifully balanced and light on the helm. It accelerates nicely in just 5 or 6 knots of wind, and a singlehander can manage it. It also has fine seakeeping qualities.
Perry combined relatively low wetted surface and a low displacement-to-length ratio for the period with a moderate cruising fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder. Together, these qualities equip the boat to be driven hard and fast across open water in any weather, with safety and reasonable comfort.
Accommodations
Belowdecks, the boat maintains the Valiant standard of quality and luxury. The forward cabin has a good-size V-berth with considerable storage beneath. Aft is the head, with a sink and a separate shower compartment with a seat; a large hanging locker sits opposite.
In the saloon, a sleeping-length settee runs along the starboard side. To port, an L-shaped settee and table convert into a generous double berth. A 60-gallon water tank sits beneath each settee, and headroom is about 6 feet 6 inches throughout.
A chart table aft of the starboard settee uses the forward end of the quarter berth as the navigator’s seat. Opposite, the compact but sufficient U-shaped galley has a deep double sink near the centerline, allowing it to drain on either tack.
An abundance of lockers provides enough space to provision four crew for at least three weeks at sea. Overall, the boat offers good accommodation for four or five people on extended voyages in any waters.
Cockpit, Deck Gear, and Engine Access
The cockpit seats are nicely angled, deep, and set at a comfortable height above the sole. The lockers have enough room for fenders and mooring lines, as well as a vented gas-bottle compartment.
Getting past the wheel to the helmsman’s seat, tucked well aft, is a bit of a squeeze. A deck plate over the rudderstock head can be removed to fit the emergency tiller.
The original Westerbeke diesel sits behind the companionway steps, which lift out for access.
Known Issues
The balsa-cored deck may soften where moisture enters around hardware and fastenings. Buyers should also note the blistering found on some Uniflite-era hulls built from 1980 to 1982, both above and below the waterline. Early Nordic-built boats have been relatively free of blisters, while later resin chemistry eliminated that vulnerability.
The Verdict
The Valiant 37 is a no-nonsense Perry design that translated the success of the Valiant 40 into a smaller, livelier package. It was meant to be sailed hard, not coddled. Its light helm, low wetted surface, and Grand Prix-style deck layout reward sailors who left cruising behind because it lacked performance, while the interior offers genuine voyaging capability for four or five people.
Pros
- Light, balanced helm and quick acceleration in 5–6 knots of wind
- Hand-laminated solid hull with a lead keel secured by cast-in stainless-steel hooks
- Accommodation and stowage for three-week passages with four crew
- Early Nordic-built and later isophthalic-resin hulls largely free of blistering
Cons
- Balsa deck core may soften around fastenings as the boat ages
- Some Uniflite-built hulls blistered above and below the waterline
- Tight passage past the wheel to the aft helmsman’s seat
