Surprise
Archambault · Joubert/Nivelt · 1977
Updated
The Surprise is a 7.64 m semi-displacement racing yacht designed by Joubert/Nivelt and built by Archambault, first launched in 1977. It races in Sportboat. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 4% 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 4% of the boats it races against.
27th of 28 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 23 starts across 4 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
7.64 m
25′ 1″
Beam
2.38 m
Draft
1.58 m
Displacement
1.3 t
Sail area
36 m²
On the podium
Where a Surprise finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
35%
of 23 starts by 4 boats
Wins
9%
Read from 23 starts by 4 boats between 2023 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Surprise was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Campionato Invernale Citta' di Bari2026
Republic Cup 2025 Offshore Race2025- Campionato Velico del Lario ORC2025
- Minialtura Area Laghi2023
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
24%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
—
Not enough data yet: 4 races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Surprise actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
Blusail 24 (6 meetings), Didi 26 (6 meetings), Rivetto (6 meetings), J/80 (6 meetings), Grand Surprise (6 meetings), First 211 (6 meetings), J/70 (6 meetings), Cheese 6.5 (3 meetings), Sb 20 (3 meetings)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Surprise has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
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
4.75
36°
Beam reach
7.80
90°
Broad reach
9.19
135°
Downwind VMG
7.30
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.
The stronger it blows, the better this design looks. On a windy coastal course it is in its element; on a light-air windward-leeward it has to be sailed well to hold on.
Where it gains
Its best ground is on a broad reach when it blows, where it outruns what it looks like on paper, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage downwind as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
It falls short cracked off in the light stuff, giving away time it never gets back.
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 1.0 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the upwind.
How fast is a Surprise
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.25 | 4.39 | 4.69 | 4.75 |
| 52° | 4.89 | 6.10 | 6.43 | 6.57 |
| 60° | 5.12 | 6.23 | 6.63 | 6.83 |
| 75° | 5.24 | 6.34 | 6.92 | 7.30 |
| 90° | 5.13 | 6.44 | 7.04 | 7.80 |
| 110° | 5.11 | 6.54 | 7.45 | 8.45 |
| 120° | 4.92 | 6.43 | 7.44 | 9.23 |
| 135° | 4.35 | 6.13 | 7.10 | 9.19 |
| 150° | 3.67 | 5.58 | 6.65 | 8.22 |
| Run VMG | 3.18 | 4.85 | 6.05 | 7.30 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Most run a fixed propeller. Crew weight is declared around 400 kg.
Rigging
Surprise rig and sail dimensions
A Surprise carries 9.00 m of mainsail hoist on a 3.30 m boom, a forestay 8.17 m above the deck. Typical figures across the 31 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 33 to 45 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.