Cape Fear 38
Cape Fear · Nelson/Marek · 2001
Updated
Measured under the previous VPP (2021–2024)
The Cape Fear 38 is a 11.53 m semi-displacement racing yacht designed by Nelson/Marek and built by Cape Fear, first launched in 2001. It races in Class B.
Length
11.53 m
37′ 10″
Beam
3.39 m
Draft
1.89 m
Displacement
5.7 t
Sail area
80 m²
On the podium
Where a Cape Fear 38 finishes when she goes racing.
Not enough data yet to show how this design finishes. It has not been found in the race results we have collected so far.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Cape Fear 38 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
No regattas found yet.
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
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Not enough data yet: no 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 Cape Fear 38 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Not enough data yet to say who this design races against. No result we have collected puts it on the water beside another design we track.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
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.
How fast is a Cape Fear 38
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 4.27 | 5.16 | 5.37 | — |
| 52° | 6.42 | 7.39 | 7.62 | — |
| 60° | 6.71 | 7.59 | 7.85 | — |
| 75° | 6.90 | 7.78 | 8.23 | — |
| 90° | 6.97 | 7.82 | 8.43 | — |
| 110° | 7.17 | 8.22 | 8.88 | — |
| 120° | 7.08 | 8.20 | 9.16 | — |
| 135° | 6.55 | 7.95 | 8.93 | — |
| 150° | 5.61 | 7.37 | 8.11 | — |
| Run VMG | 4.86 | 6.38 | 7.18 | — |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 730 kg.
Rigging
Cape Fear 38 rig and sail dimensions
A Cape Fear 38 carries 14.04 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.21 m boom, a forestay 14.23 m above the deck and a 4.99 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 3 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 107 to 125 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.