1985 Diva 39 (Fabola Yachts)12m

Over 100 of the Diva 39s were built, with active one-design racing in the Baltic. The boat is light and relatively narrow, with a near shoal draft and a large rudder. Despite its shallow keel, she is surprisingly close-winded and a joy to both cruise and race. The large main and light displacement give her a SA- DSP ratio of 21.2 for good light air performance even with a non-overlapping jib. The mast bend and headstay tension can be precisely controlled with both permanent and running backstays. As a result, the power and balance of the boat can be tuned for any wind condition, and she can be handled easily by 2 people. The normal racing crew is 5, but the long overhangs easily accept more or less crew weight. And with the narrow beam, weight on the rail is less critical, so you don’t need a large crew. This boat has been very successful both in evening beer can racing and weekend doublehanded racing.

On deck, there is little woodwork for easy maintenance. All control lines lead to the cockpit for easy shorthanded sailing. Tiller steering allows much better visibility and handling in tight quarters, and with the boat so well balanced it has little load.

Belowdecks, the chainplates and floor stringers were rebuilt and the cabin sole repaced. Nonetheless, this is a lightweight boat, lively for local racing and wonderful for gunkholing throughout New England, but not suitable for bluewater passages. She was regularly cruised for 1-2 weeks each season.