Bavaria 35 Match, a Match Racer You Can Cruise

Born for the Swedish Match Tour on Lake Constance

Most production cruisers start life in a charter fleet. The Bavaria 35 Match started on a match racing course. In June 2004 Yachting World reported that the eighth Match Race Germany, a stop on the Swedish Match Tour held on Lake Constance, was being sailed in new Bavaria 35 Match yachts. Five years later the boat was still the event's boat of choice at Langenargen when the World Match Racing Tour came to town with Ben Ainslie's Team Origin on the entry list.

Sailboatdata credits the design to Doug Peterson, the American whose IOR and America's Cup work made him one of the most respected names in the sport, together with J&J Design, Bavaria's regular studio. The yard built the 35 from 2004 to 2006 alongside two bigger sisters, the Match 38 and Match 42, and then closed the series. The result is a small, interesting fleet that most sailors outside Germany have never seen.

Doug Peterson's numbers: light, long and powerful

On paper the Bavaria 35 Match looks like a modern sportboat with a cruising interior. Length overall is 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) on a long 31 ft 8 in waterline, beam is a moderate 10 ft 8 in and displacement is just 11,880 lb (5,389 kg). A lead bulb keel carries 3,960 lb of ballast at 6 ft 7 in, and a shallower 6 ft 1 in version was listed.

Sailboatdata's ratios tell the story. A sail area to displacement ratio of 26.2 puts it firmly in high-performance territory, while the displacement to length ratio of 167 is light without being extreme. The ballast ratio is 33 percent, the motion comfort ratio is 24 and the capsize screening value is 1.87. Theoretical hull speed is about 7.5 knots, but a boat this light will surf well past that off the wind.

Fractional rig and a crew-friendly cockpit

The rig is a fractional sloop with a big, battened mainsail, which is what match racing demands: quick acceleration out of tacks and the ability to depower the main in a gust. The 2004 boat we found on the market has rod standing rigging, a furling genoa and a gennaker, which is a sensible spec for club racing with a cruising crew.

Fractional rigs with rod rigging reward attention. Mast tune matters more than on a masthead cruiser, and rod has a finite life measured in miles and cycles, not just years. If the rigging is original, budget for an inspection with dye testing of the heads and, realistically, for replacement before any serious offshore racing.

Below decks: a cruising interior with racing tankage

Unlike a pure one-design, the Bavaria 35 Match has a proper interior. Boats on the market list two cabins and one head, a saloon with fridge and a navigation table, the kind of layout that lets a couple or small family cruise for a week or two. Do not expect the volume of a Bavaria 35 Cruiser: the narrow hull and low freeboard that make it fast also keep the interior compact.

Tankage is clearly race-oriented. Sailboatdata lists 25 US gallons (95 liters) of fuel and 40 gallons (151 liters) of water, and the original engine was a small Volvo Penta MD2020 rated at 19 hp, though at least one boat for sale carries a 29 hp Volvo Penta 2030 on a saildrive. Plan on marinas or a jerry can for longer cruises.

The Match 38 and Match 42 sisters

Bavaria built three Match models and listings sometimes confuse them. The Match 38 (2003 to 2006) is 37 ft 4 in long, displaces 14,080 lb and has a Volvo D1-30 saildrive, with an optional deep keel drawing 7 ft 7 in. The Match 42 (2004 to 2006) is 41 ft 2 in long, displaces 16,280 lb, carries 1,227 sq ft of sail and has a 55 hp Volvo D2-55.

All three share the Peterson and J&J design credit, fractional rigs and bulb keels, and all three were built in Giebelstadt during the same three-year window. When you research a Bavaria 35 Match, check the length and engine on the listing against these numbers before comparing prices.

• Match 35: 34 ft 6 in, 11,880 lb, small Volvo diesel, 2004 to 2006
• Match 38: 37 ft 4 in, 14,080 lb, Volvo D1-30 saildrive, 2003 to 2006
• Match 42: 41 ft 2 in, 16,280 lb, Volvo D2-55, 2004 to 2006

Why surveyors look hard at the keel structure

Any buyer of a Match series Bavaria should know the history. In 2005 a Bavaria Match 42 lost its keel in the Adriatic and one person died. Yachting World later reported that the internal structure pulled through the bottom of the boat, while the German Wikipedia entry on Bavaria notes that the technical cause remained disputed and that Bavaria went to court over parts of the press coverage.

There is no published evidence of a similar failure on the 35, but a light, high-aspect bulb keel puts large loads into the hull, and any racing boat may have hit the bottom. Insist on a haul-out survey that includes the keel bolts, the keel-to-hull joint, the internal floors or grid and any signs of previous repair, and ask the owner directly about groundings. A boat that has been dropped and properly reinforced with documented repairs can be a good buy; one with hairline cracks around the grid is a walk-away.

Club racing and fast cruising in 2026

Today the Bavaria 35 Match is best seen as a fast club racer and a fun weekender rather than a one-design. You will race it under PHRF, ORC or a local handicap, so a careful sail inventory and a clean bottom matter more than class rules. Its long waterline and light weight make it rewarding in moderate breeze, and its interior means the delivery to a regatta can double as a cruise.

For sailors coming from a heavier cruiser, the boat will feel lively and demanding. It needs early reefing, an active mainsheet and a crew of three or four to race well, but it can be cruised by two with a reef in and the jib rolled.

What a Bavaria 35 Match costs today

With so few built and most of them in Germany, Spain and the Adriatic, pricing is set by condition rather than by a deep pool of comparables. The 2004 boat in Denia, Spain, listed at 49,000 euros with two owners, rod rigging and Raymarine instruments, is a useful benchmark. Expect roughly $45,000 to $75,000 for a sound boat, plus transport if you import one.

Spend on a survey before you spend on sails. A tired rod rig, original sails and a keel needing work can add $20,000 or more, which wipes out the price advantage over better-known rivals.