It's not for everyone: the plans for the inventive weekend cruiser from Denmark have been in designer Peter Bjørn Olsen's drawers for several years. Now the independent project is ready for series production.
The outstanding detail is the lifting roof, a real speciality of the Olsen 370 and also a unique selling point. Hydraulic cylinders raise the cabin superstructure evenly from the cockpit bulkhead to the mast. Fabric connections then ensure a closed interior even when the canopy is raised. An attractive, but also elaborate and cost-intensive detail.
The boat also shines in other respects with an unusual number of really well thought-out and particularly cleverly realised details on and below deck. What's more, the Olsen is a real winner on the water, beautiful to sail and remarkably versatile.
Below deck, the Olsen 370 also exceeds the expectations that are usually placed on a boat of this type. The very cosy interior is more homely and inviting than on many similarly designed boats, which as daysailers often attach little importance to the interior.
Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
