The X-332 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The X-332, a light displacement aft cockpit sloop, was designed by Niels Jeppesen and built in Denmark by X-Yachts.

An X-332

Published Specification for the X-332

Underwater Profile: Bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 33'0" (10.1m)

Waterline Length: 28'11" (8.8m)

Beam: 10'10" (3.3m)

Draft: 5'11" (1.8m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 9,590lb (4,350kg)

Designer: Niels Jeppesen

Builder: X-Yachts (Denmark)

Year First Built: 1994

Year Last Built: 2005

Number Built: 432

Published Design Ratios for the X-332

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 20.2

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 41.4

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 177

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 20.6

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the X-332

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 20.2 suggests that, in the right hands, the X-332 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 41.4 means that the X-332 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 177, tells us the X-332 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 20.6 suggests that crew comfort of a X-332 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula of 2.0 tells us that a X-332 would not be as good a choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making, owing to the increased risk of capsize in strong winds and heavy seas when compared to a sailboat with a CSF of less than 2.0.

The X-332: A Fast and Comfortable Cruiser-Racer

This 33-foot cruiser-racer was designed by Niels Jeppesen and built by X-Yachts, a Danish company known for its high-end sailing yachts. The X-332 was launched in 1994 and became one of the most popular models of the X-Yachts range, with over 400 hulls produced until 2005.

What are the 'fors' of the X-332?

The X-332 has many positive attributes that make it a great choice for recreational sailors and yachting enthusiasts. Here are some of them:

Performance: The X-332 is a fast and agile boat that can handle a variety of wind and sea conditions. It has a fractional sloop rig with a large mainsail and a self-tacking jib, which makes it easy to sail short-handed. It also has a deep fin keel with a bulb and a balanced spade rudder, which provide stability and responsiveness. The X-332 has a reported sail area to displacement ratio of 20.2, which means it has plenty of power to move in light winds. It also has a displacement to length ratio of 177, which means it is relatively light and stiff for its size. The X-332 can reach speeds of up to 7 knots in light airs and over 10 knots in stronger winds.

Comfort: The X-332 is not only a racer, but also a cruiser that can accommodate up to six people for overnight stays or longer voyages. It has a spacious cockpit with an ergonomic layout and a folding table for dining al fresco. It also has a transom ladder for easy access to the water and a large locker for storing sails and gear. Below decks, the X-332 has a cozy and elegant interior with teak woodwork and white upholstery. It has three cabins: a forward cabin with a double berth, a port aft cabin with a double berth, and a starboard aft cabin with two single berths². It also has a saloon with a U-shaped settee and a folding table, a galley with a two-burner stove, an oven, a sink and a fridge, and a head with a toilet, a sink and a shower.

Quality: The X-332 is built to last and to withstand the rigors of sailing. It has a solid fiberglass hull with vinylester resin and balsa core for strength and insulation. It also has a steel frame that distributes the loads from the keel, mast and rigging to the hull. The deck is made of fiberglass with balsa core and anti-slip surface. The mast and boom are made of aluminum alloy, while the standing rigging is made of stainless steel wire. The running rigging is made of Dyneema or Spectra lines. The sails are made of Dacron or laminate materials. The X-332 is also equipped with high-quality hardware and fittings from brands like Harken, Lewmar, Spinlock and Andersen.

What are the 'againsts' of the X-332?

The X-332 is not without its flaws or limitations. Here are some of them:

Price: The X-332 is not a cheap boat. It was originally sold for around $150,000 in 1994, which is equivalent to about $270,000 in 2021. Today, you can find used X-332s for sale for around $80,000 to $100,000 depending on their condition and equipment. However, this is still more expensive than some other comparable boats in the market, such as the Beneteau First 36.7 or the J/109.

Space: The X-332 is not a very spacious boat. It has a beam of only 10.83 feet (3.3 meters), which means it has less room inside than some other boats of similar length. For example, the Beneteau First 36.7 has a beam of 11.42 feet (3.48 meters), while the J/109 has a beam of 11.5 feet (3.51 meters). This means that the X-332 has less storage space, less headroom, less elbow room and less privacy than some other boats. Some people might find the X-332 too cramped or claustrophobic for long-term living aboard or cruising.

Niels Jeppesen, Yacht Designer

Niels Jeppesen is a yacht designer from Denmark who was a founder and the principal designer of X-Yachts, a well-known Danish shipyard. He has designed many performance yachts for both production and one-off boats. Since 2005, he has run a yacht design company in the UK called Jeppesen & Pons Ltd with Ariadna Pons Forn. He is also a board member of Arcona Yachts, a Swedish yacht builder, and has designed the new Arcona 50.

Sailboats designed by Niels Jeppesen include:

Elan 31 (J&J): A cruiser-racer designed in 1983 with a fractional rig and a fin keel.

X-99: A one-design racer designed in 1985 with a masthead rig and a fin keel

X-79: A trailerable racer-cruiser designed in 1979 with a fractional rig and a lifting keel.

X-332: A cruiser-racer designed in 1994 with a fractional rig and a fin keel. It has two versions: standard and sport.

X-412: A performance cruiser designed in 1988 with a masthead rig and a fin keel. It has three versions: Mk I, Mk II and Mk III.

X-362: A cruiser-racer designed in 1993 with a fractional rig and a fin keel. It has two versions: classic and sport.

X-102: A racer-cruiser designed in 1981 with a masthead rig and a fin keel.

X-34: A performance cruiser designed in 2007 with a fractional rig and a fin keel.

X-382: A cruiser-racer designed in 1991 with a masthead rig and a fin keel.

X-442: A performance cruiser designed in 1993 with a masthead rig and a fin keel.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.