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- Sailboat Guide
Biscay 36 is a 35 ′ 11 ″ / 11 m monohull sailboat designed by Alan F. Hill and built by Robert Ives/Falmouth Boat Construction starting in 1974.
Rig and Sails
Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3
- SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D : Displacement in pounds.
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Ballast / Displacement * 100
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
Sloop or ketch. Molded by Robert Ives Ltd.and finished by Falmouth Boat Construction Ltd. Thanks to former BISCAY 36 owner Tim Atkinson for providing updated information. Dimensions from original brochure.
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Design Details
Cygnus biscay 36.
The boats that we produced were all bespoke, crafted to customer specifications so you may find many variations on this core product out there that are unique in their own way.
Boat Descritption
The BISCAY 36 was originally conceived, quiet simply, as the ideal cruising yacht. Materials were to be carefully selected to achieve this aim both traditional and new, each chosen for its ability to perform its function to the highest standards.
The yacht was designed to be for the owner who wishes to cruise long distances with consistently good performance, whether under sail or motor.
It was to have at least five berths, be around 36 feet long, have a full keel, and be ketch rigged. It had to appeal to the man who would expect the best.
- Ideal cruising yacht
- Traditional Materials
- Highest standards
- Long Distance capabilities
Product Gallery
Biscay Lines Plan and Specification
Some Diagrams are not to scale. All craft are custom built and may not match diagram above
Dimensions in FT and Inches
This Cygnus boat is available from
Falmouth Boat Construction
Little Falmouth Yacht Yard Flushing, Falmouth Cornwall, TR11 5TJ
T +44 (0)1326 374309
Falmouth boat construction
Two competitors in the 2018 Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race have chosen Falmouth Boat Co. to refit their yachts – one of which was originally built at the Flushing boatyard.
Antoine Cousot (France) and Nabil Amra (USA / Palestine) have selected Biscay 36 class ketch yachts for the 27,000 mile retro non-stop circumnavigation.
The race will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s major achievement in becoming the first to sail solo non-stop around the world. After leaving Falmouth in 1968 he returned 312 days later as the sole finisher in the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
Falmouth Boat Co. built 29 of the traditional long keeled yachts from 1975 – 1990 and Antoine’s yacht was the first built.
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- April 28, 2020
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- Yachting Monthly
- Digital edition
- July 9, 2009
The design and style of this long-keeled, ketch-rigged cruiser is very much that of a wooden yacht built in GRP. She was designed by Alan F Hill to include the heavy-displacement cruising characteristics many yachtsmen regard as essential: easy motion, directional stability, good sea-keeping andan easily handled but fl exible and powerful rig. She fi rst appeared in 1974, moulded by Robert Ives and fitted out to a high standard by Falmouth Boat Construction. She proved popular and had a reasonably long production run. She has a generous galley and a large chart table over the head of the quarterberth.
LOA 10.9m (35ft 11in), LWL 8.22m (27ft), beam 3.28m (10ft 9in), draught 1.62m (5ft 4in), displacement 7,127kg (15,680lb). Price guide: £40,000 to £50,000. YM Test report September 1975.
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