Perry Design Review: Sabre 362

Sabre has given us a long string of excellent sloops over the years, and I am impressed with their newest, the Sabre 362 (LOA 36 feet, 2inches). This marks the first time that Sabre has gone to an outside designer, Jim Taylor, for its design. The boat is a combination design effort involving the Sabre design team headed by Roger Hewson and Taylor's office.

The Sabre 362 has a strong look, according to reviewer Bob Perry.

Let's start with the rig because I want to draw your attention to the profile of the boat. I like this look. The ends are short and the sheer is flat and, combined with the carefully sculpted house, the look is strong. The mast is well forward and keel stepped. The spreaders are slightly swept. The mainsheet traveler is pushed as far forward as possible for cockpit convenience, but I would like to see it farther aft for better control. The SA/D is 17.88.

I suspect that Jim Taylor's contribution to this project was the hull and rig design. The hull is very much aimed at good all-around performance with a careful blend of both speed and sufficient volume for comfortable accommodations. The D/L ratio is 219. The 12-foot beam is carried well aft. There are two keels available, one giving 6 feet, 8 inches of draft and the other a winged type giving 4 feet, 8 inches. The IMS general purpose rating for this boat is 647.1 seconds per mile.

This accommodation layout displays the experience of Sabre's designers, incorporating features refined from years of producing good boats. There are two double sleeping rooms. The forward stateroom is large and includes a wash basin. The aft quarter-double is tighter but adequate. The head is huge and has an adjoining shower stall. Note that angled bulkheads have been used to optimize the available space.

This reviewer would like to see some space on each side of the range to put pots and pans when cooking in the L-shaped galley. This could be easily accommodated at the expense of the quarter double berth. The main cabin shows a table that hinges down from the forward bulkhead.

The auxiliary is a Westerbeke 30-horsepower diesel. There is tankage for 30 gallons of fuel and 78 gallons of water.

In short, a good boat with a clever balance of features that should appeal to a very wide spectrum of sailors. I could cruise very comfortably in this layout.

Boat Specifications

LOA	36'2"
LWL	30'5"
Beam	12'
Draft	Deep Keel 6'8" Wing Keel 4'8"
Displacement	Deep Keel 13800 lbs. Wing Keel 14,800 lbs.
Ballast	Deep Keel 5520 lbs. Wing Keel 5780 lbs.
Sail Area	643 sq. ft.
SA/D ratio	17.88
D/L ratio	219
Auxiliary	Westerbeke 35B
Fuel	34 gals.
Water	76 gals.