Design and Lineage
Leif Ängermark drew the Wasa 370 in the mid-eighties, and the Swedish yard Wasa Yachts built it. The 370 and 360 share the same hull, but the later boat was lengthened by 10 centimeters and raised 7 centimeters along the full freeboard. The 7-centimeter increase raised cabin headroom by a corresponding amount, while the changes created a perceptible sense of volume below.
The builder described the 370 as an improvement over the 360 in several respects while remaining a classic Wasa: a fast family cruiser intended for comfortable passage-making and, at the same time, a quick racer for club competition.
Construction
Wasa 370 hulls are hand-laid fiberglass, with fiberglass decks. Like other Wasa boats after the 55, it was molded in one piece without a centerline joint. This single-shot structure provides markedly greater strength against grounding shocks and other severe loads.
The bottom laminate is exceptionally thick, at roughly 40 mm of solid glass-reinforced plastic. Comparable modern boats of this size may have no more than 12 mm.
Around the midpoint of the production run, the cockpit layout changed. The builder’s chief explained that the sole was lifted and the coamings raised, allowing the berths tucked under the cockpit floor to be widened by adding a center bulkhead.
Rig and Performance
The 370 carries a fractional sloop rig and a lead fin keel. Loaded draft is about 6.4 to 6.7 feet, limiting her to larger marinas.
The theoretical displacement-hull speed is 7.3 knots, with a calculated maximum near 6.5. The capsize screening value is 1.88, and the motion comfort ratio is 24.1. A displacement-length ratio of 199 places her among moderate racers.
Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 18.3 with the reference sail and 21.3 with a 135% genoa. Together with a relative speed performance of 73, those figures describe a lively, wind-driven hull. Wetted bottom surface is about 376 square feet, while an immersion rate near 1,103 pounds per inch reflects a heavily built, 11,000-pound hull carrying 4,630 pounds of lead ballast.
Accommodations
The interior is finished in teak, as were most yachts of the period. The raised freeboard and longer hull directly improved standing headroom and the feeling of space below.
When the cockpit was reshaped partway through production, the aft cabin gained wider, roomier berths and a larger pilot berth. That improvement came from the raised sole and the added center bulkhead beneath the cockpit.
Verdict
The Wasa 370 is a thoughtful evolution of a proven Scandinavian cruiser-racer. Its notable features include a one-piece hull with an unusually thick bottom laminate, a raised and lengthened deck mold that provides genuine headroom, and a rig that rewards sailing. It suits owners who want authentic Wasa character without the absolute minimalism of the earlier 360.
Pros
- One-piece hull molding without a centerline joint, providing strength under grounding loads
- Approximately 40 mm of solid bottom laminate, compared with much thinner modern practice
- Raised freeboard and a 10 cm hull stretch provide real headroom and roomier aft berths
- Fractional sloop rig, lead fin keel, and sail-area ratios suited to lively cruising
Cons
- Draft of about 6.4–6.7 ft restricts her to major-marina entrances
- Displacement-length and comfort ratios put her firmly in moderate-racer territory rather than making her a soft motoring hull
