Civilised Sigma 362
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
One of my favourite designs from the 1980s is the Sigma 362. When they were still relatively new boats I was lucky enough to skipper one for thousands of miles, exploring many ports between the Solent and Ushant.
The 362 is based on the Sigma 36, a David Thomas-designed racer/cruiser from 1980. In its day the 36 was thought of as a powerful boat that could be difficult to handle in strong winds, but much of this reputation was the result of gung-ho race crews pressing too hard when the breeze picked up. The stretchy Dacron sails of the era didn’t help either – they deformed into deeper, more powerful shapes in gusts, accentuating heel but without driving the boat any faster. Certainly, by today’s standards the 36 is a fairly moderate and easily tamed design.
So the Sigma 362 has always been the civilised version by a big margin, right from its inception in 1983. The high volume hull shape, for its day, enabled the interior to be reconfigured to a modern layout that easily matched the innovative French designs, such as Beneteau’s slightly later First 345, that rapidly gained popularity in the mid 1980s.
Our test boat is the wing-keel version and has been owned by long-standing PBO subscriber Claire Dresser for four years. She bought Lady Penrose after her parent’s Oyster 46 (Penrose III) was sold after several decades of ownership.
Claire uses the boat for both cruising and racing, including single-handed
