Sadler 34

Description

The Sadler 34 is a British mid-sized cruiser-racer sailboat designed by David & Martin Sadler (with Martin Sadler leading the design as an evolution from predecessors like the Sadler 32 and Contessa 32 lineage), built by Sadler Yachts in Poole, UK; introduced in 1983 (debut around 1984) and produced until the mid-1990s (around 1995), with approximately 260 units constructed. It features innovative "unsinkable" double-skinned fiberglass construction with closed-cell polyurethane foam between the hull and inner molding for buoyancy, thermal/acoustic insulation, and survivability (inspired by Fastnet Race lessons), masthead sloop rig, skeg-hung rudder on a fin keel (with extensive keel options: deep fin standard ~5 ft 10 in/1.78 m, shallow fin ~4 ft 8 in/1.42 m, bilge/twin keels ~4 ft/1.22 m, wing keel, lifting keel, and later Stephen Jones-designed bulb keels for improved efficiency and lower CG), and a practical, spacious interior for family/offshore cruising with berths for 5-6 (V-berth forward, saloon settees convertible to doubles, aft cabin with double berth and privacy door), U-shaped galley, enclosed head, navigation area, good headroom, and a secure cockpit with tiller steering; it offers excellent seaworthiness, stiffness from its high ballast ratio (~39-44% depending on source/keel), predictable and forgiving handling, strong upwind performance matching or exceeding the Contessa 32 in heavy weather while staying drier, good light-air capability from its generous sail plan, moderate displacement for comfortable motion, and a reputation as one of the most desirable Sadler-era yachts—durable, versatile for coastal/extended/offshore use, and highly regarded for safety, comfort, and value.