RM 1370

One of the good things regarding plywood/epoxy building is that it does not require a mold and that means that the boat can be changed slightly, without great costs, even in what regards the hull. That is what happened with the bigger of the RM regarding the anterior model, the 1360.

The new 1370 offers as new the option of a swing keel, maintaining the two previous offers (twin keel and deep draft torpedo keel) a new designed bow that increases LWL a bit as well as the bow buoyancy and a stronger and bigger bowsprit.

The 1360, was already strongly based on the RM 1350 as the 1370 on the 1360 . The 1350 was already a great boat and each evolution make the new model just a bit little better. The 1370 is the bigger sailboat produced by the shipyard and pointed clearly to long range voyaging. RM sells a lot more the smaller models  but even so from the previous version were made 6 boats and probably as many from the first version. Pretty difficult to find them on the used market and when they appear they sell rapidly. That says something about this boat.

The RM 1370 is light (9 400 kg) and powerful, has a huge stability due to a big form stability (beam 4.50) and to a big B/D (31%) if we consider that the ballast is on a torpedo at the boat has a 2.45m draft. The low CG will provide also a good AVS and a good reserve stability. 

That big draft can prove to be unsuitable to cruise in many places so there is an option with a slightly heavier twin keel (draft 1.95) and the new option, the swing keel, that will allow the same performance of the deep torpedo keel with a variable draft (1.30m -3.20m).

The swing keel is by far the more interesting solution, giving the boat program, but will cost more 30 000 euros that will be much better spent than on the optional carbon rig option that costs about the same. As usual on the RM,  this one will feature a  cutter rig and will provide a more solid and large bowsprit that eventually will allow to go out of the boat by the bow.

This is a fast voyage boat, with a large storage, a large tankage (600L of water and 300L of diesel). The diesel may not appear much but this is a very good sailing boat, able to sail well and fast, even with light winds. The upwind SA/D is 25.5, the downwind is 41.7, the D/L is 108.6. 

This boat even if with a good performance upwind will really shine on the trade winds with medium to strong winds where two digit speeds will not be hard to get. 

It is not a cheap boat but it offers a lot for the price, 295 000 euros without tax, standard with the fixed keel. With the swing keel. A well equipped boat should cost around 390 000 euros plus VAT for the Europeans.