Bavaria 38
Bavaria · J&J Design · 2002
Updated
The Bavaria 38 is a 11.80 m displacement racing yacht designed by J&J Design and built by Bavaria, first launched in 2002. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 39% of the designs it races against. It comes alive as the breeze builds, and gives time away in the light.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 39% of the boats it races against.
98th of 159 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 5 starts across 1 event — not only in measurement files.
Length
11.80 m
38′ 9″
Beam
3.88 m
Draft
1.99 m
Displacement
7.5 t
Sail area
80 m²
On the podium
Where a Bavaria 38 finishes when she goes racing.
0
Wins
0
Seconds
1
Thirds
5
Starts
Not enough races yet for a percentage — these are the counts so far. We keep collecting results, so this will fill in.
Read from 5 starts by 1 boat between 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Bavaria 38 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Campus Cup2026
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
—
Not enough data yet: 3 races of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.
Offshore & coastal
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Not enough data yet: no races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Bavaria 38 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Met too few times for a figure:
J/92 (5 meetings), X-302 (5 meetings), Dehler DB1 (5 meetings), First 34.7 (5 meetings), Elan 340 (5 meetings)
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
5.17
40°
Beam reach
8.47
90°
Broad reach
9.04
135°
Downwind VMG
7.83
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
It does most things without giving much away. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is on the beam in a working breeze, where it outruns what it looks like on paper, and by a margin worth having.
Where it pays
It falls short cracked off in a strong breeze, giving away time it never gets back. That is a displacement hull working to its designed speed.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.6 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the beam reach.
How fast is a Bavaria 38
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.17 | 4.49 | 5.05 | 5.17 |
| 52° | 4.93 | 6.66 | 7.30 | 7.55 |
| 60° | 5.28 | 6.92 | 7.52 | 7.79 |
| 75° | 5.51 | 7.11 | 7.74 | 8.18 |
| 90° | 5.46 | 7.22 | 7.96 | 8.47 |
| 110° | 5.50 | 7.41 | 8.23 | 9.14 |
| 120° | 5.33 | 7.29 | 8.16 | 9.32 |
| 135° | 4.77 | 6.88 | 7.88 | 9.04 |
| 150° | 4.00 | 6.09 | 7.42 | 8.46 |
| Run VMG | 3.47 | 5.28 | 6.56 | 7.83 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 680 kg.
Rigging
Bavaria 38 rig and sail dimensions
A Bavaria 38 carries 13.32 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.75 m boom, a forestay 14.41 m above the deck and a 4.60 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 24 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 71 to 139 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.