CABO HORN 35 MKII

The Cape Horn 35 is a very special boat. Her unusual interior layout with inside steering is the best way to avoid sunburns, cold rain, or worse still, mixing salt water with cold beer from a treacherous breaker. When sailing under perfect conditions, the outside wheel is there to give all the pleasure a well balanced and responsive sailboat is able to offer. Besides these features, the Cape Horn 35 concept is what we consider the most adequate cruising boat of her size for blue water adventures. Forward, there is a large private cabin with an ample double berth, a sofa and a profusion of lockers and drawers. Straight after, to starboard are the heads and shower. Very few boats of this size are so well served with such a comfortable heads compartment. The relatively small pilot-house lies just behind the mast step. Close to the pilot seat, is placed the navigation station with an internal steering wheel, a large chart table and plenty of space for instruments. On the other side is a well appointed galley, at a privileged place aboard, a feature seldom offered to the most important crew member, the cook.

The aft saloon, despite being an unusual arrangement, is exceptionally comfortable, allowing up to eight adults to be entertained or to share a sophisticated meal. Behind the aft side of the dinnette back is placed another double berth. Two opening ports at the transom ensures good air circulation and allows the users to appreciate the view . The flush deck in front of the pilot house is unobstructed and large enough to be used as a sunbathing area or even for a luau party. A well proportioned sail plan and low resistence hull are the main reasons why the Cape Horn 35 is capable of an excellent overall performance. Two types of fin keels, one normal and the other a shallow draft bulbous fin are very close in performance and stability. For that reason the bulbous version is the preferred by most owners. The appealing features of this design aroused great enthusiasm for this boat, and in a few years an impressive fleet of more than a dozen boats were sailing in local waters or enterprising long distance cruising. Particularly remarkable was the performance of one of the Cape Horns, Guruca, which was caught by the worst hurricane ever in the Island of Saint Martin, and when the storm was over, it had only minor scratches and a broken rudder tip . After being submitted to quick repairs, this blue water sailer returned single handed to her home port, Angra dos Reis, Brasil, in an uneventful trip, despite being most of the passage close-hauled. The boat was so well balanced that an autopilot was able to steer for the whole time of the passage, allowing for a pleasant life on board with plenty of time for leisure. The owner was particularly impressed by the small angle of heel and the seakindlyness of the hull.

In February 2006, the Cape Horn 35 Utopia, ex - Guruçá, completed a round the World trip experiencing many thrilling situations, like hitting a rock at full speed in Indonesia without suffering any damage, having survived the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand, and later, already in the Atlantic, being attacked by sperm whales, which lunged against the propeller, bending the shaft strut and leaving her without auxiliary propulsion for the rest of the trip. Marco Cianflonne, her skipper, is presently planning a second circum-navigation, this time reserving for the South Pacific alone two years of the voyage's duration. The lesson the Cape Horn 35 taught us is that she is immensely strong and fitted for the most demanding nautical adventures.

In March 2006 we introduced an upgraded version of this successful design, the Cape Horn 35 MkII. Now she has a larger transom and a more up-to-date cabin trunk design. Otherwise this proven design has remained unchanged, since its concept is the reason for her continued success. With these improvements we obtained an optimization of the plans that will certainly keep her on the crest of the wave for many years to come.