Overview
The Peterson 34 is a Doug Peterson IOR-era racer-cruiser from California, built from 1976 to 1981, with 91 built according to sailboatdata.com. Its place in this catalog rests on its ocean racing record: 3 different boats of the design have finished the Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Hawaii or the Newport Bermuda Race in the official results.
Design and Construction
sailboatdata.com lists the underbody as fin with spade rudder, 33.92 ft overall on a 28.25 ft waterline, with 11.25 ft of beam and 6.25 ft of draft. Displacement is about 10,800 lb with 5,100 lb of ballast, and the masthead sloop carries about 565 sq ft. Ronnie Simpson, who refit one for offshore work, writes in Cruising World that the Peterson 34 was essentially a production racer/cruiser version of the successful mid-1970s racing yacht Ganbare. He describes the keel bolts on his boat as easily visible, relatively massive and closely spaced, and says her build quality was good. The original deck came with nine winches and a long genoa track, which he cut and moved inboard and forward to sheet small jibs tightly.
Ocean Racing Record
Dart (John Crutcher) finished the Pacific Cup (2008, 2010). Wovoka (Charles McCuskey) finished the Pacific Cup (1980). Airbourne (James Tyler) finished the Pacific Cup (1980).
Simpson found that the deep lead fin keel and high ballast ratio let his boat climb to windward and lived up to the model’s reputation as an upwind “freight train.” He also advises that any boat of this vintage intended for offshore sailing needs a new rudder.
