Design and Construction
B. Vermaas gave the 108 a length-to-beam ratio of 3.27. Compared with similar sailboats, she is slimmer than 58 percent of other designs. That narrowness isn’t simply a styling choice. It keeps wetted surface to roughly 387 square feet and, together with a 29-foot-2-inch waterline, supports a hull speed near 7.24 knots.
The hull and deck are both solid fiberglass. The fin carries lead ballast rather than cast iron or ballast encapsulated in the molding. A single diesel drives through a shaft transmission.
The 108 has a capsize screening value of 1.85, placing her within accepted offshore-passage thresholds for a boat of this size. She settles at a rate near 1,337 pounds for each inch of additional sinkage, so she loads predictably with crew and stores—a useful trait when preparing for a passage.
Rig and Handling
The masthead-sloop rig carries 807 square feet of sail, giving the 108 a sail-area/displacement ratio of 22.68. That figure is modest by modern light-air standards, but it is consistent with a boat intended for a small crew to handle in a seaway rather than one optimized for the gentlest breezes.
The standing and running gear follow period norms. The jib and genoa sheets are each 35.4 feet long and half an inch in diameter, the mainsheet is 88.6 feet long with the same diameter, and the spinnaker sheet is 78 feet long.
Depending on load, the fin keel draws between 6.23 and 6.53 feet. That draft confines the boat to major marinas, but the deeper lateral plane encourages a defined helm and steady tracking.
Accommodations and Machinery
Below, the Veno 108 has nine berths. That count comes from a convertible saloon arrangement plus forward and aft sleeping spaces, rather than a minimalist quarter-berth layout.
Water capacity is 69 gallons, while the diesel tank holds 26 gallons. Those capacities point toward coastal and short offshore cruising rather than indefinite independence.
Builder data lists a 23-horsepower Bukh DV24M diesel as the typical installation, although the yachtdatabase review notes that the model may instead have a 27-horsepower inboard.
Verdict
The Veno 108 is a considered example of early-1980s Dutch cruiser design: narrow enough to move in a seaway, solidly molded, and ballasted with lead on a fin that demands decent water beneath her. She isn’t a light-air flyer, and her draft limits her to maintained harbors. Still, her numbers describe a stable, predictable 35-footer with serious offshore pedigree in the formula sense.
Pros
- Slimmer hull than 58% of similar designs, with controlled wetted surface
- Lead ballast on a fin keel and a capsize screening value of 1.85
- Nine berths and 69 gallons of water capacity for cruising use
Cons
- Draft of 6.23–6.53 ft restricts her to major marinas
- Sail-area/displacement ratio of 22.68 is modest in light air
- Engine output varies by installation: 23 or 27 hp
