In YACHT, issue 11/2017, we presented the Ofcet 32 from France in a test, a new release from France. The exciting and fast top performer from the pen of Marc Lombard polarises the market with its unusually radical design language and very unique look. The still young shipyard Chantier Ofcet in La Rochelle primarily wants to offer a boat capable of winning regattas according to the IRC handicap. A simple, streamlined sail plan without significant laps or exhibitions and a fin keel without a ballast bomb are the key features. In addition, the interior of the IRC boat is designed for touring, but also very consistently trimmed for lightweight construction.
As already mentioned in the test report, the shipyard is currently also working on a sports cruiser version (Ofcet 32 SC). Chantier Ofcet has now also presented the first renderings and expansion plans. The SC version will be more versatile, more of a versatile performance cruiser and less of a pure racer. And as a sports cruiser, this version favours ORCi equalisation and is therefore also more interesting for regatta sailors on the Baltic Sea or Lake Constance, for example.
What's different: In the sport cruiser version, the Ofcet 32 comes with a powerful T-keel with ballast bomb, and the two rudder blades are slightly longer. The boat also has a longer, permanently attached bowsprit for the gennaker or for a code zero. The concept also includes a slightly higher mast with a larger mainsail and square top.
The SC version will also have a nicer interior, with more wood features and greater cosiness. The layout remains essentially unchanged. On the other hand, the foredeck, the aft cabin and the bathroom will have more privacy thanks to fully-fledged bulkheads with real doors. The sporty basic version has no fixed partitions and only a fabric curtain to the wet room.
The SC version will therefore naturally be somewhat heavier. The shipyard will only be able to define exactly how much once the boat has been built and weighed. Chantier Ofcet is also not yet able to quantify the surcharge for the SC version; the price lists are now being finalised. The shipyard is expecting a "small surcharge". The basic version of the Ofcet 32 as presented in the test costs 147,760 euros ex shipyard, gross, without the sails.
