Nicolson 35
Description
The Camper & Nicholsons 35 (commonly known as the Nicholson 35 or Nic 35) is a highly respected British bluewater cruising sailboat, built by Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport, UK, from 1971 to around 1985 (some sources say up to 1990 for late variants). Over 200 hulls were produced (approximately 228 in total), making it one of the yard's most successful models—a true classic with a reputation for exceptional seaworthiness, solid construction, and comfortable motion in heavy seas. Designed by Raymond Wall (in collaboration with the Camper & Nicholsons in-house team; often credited as Ray Wall/Camper & Nicholson), it's a moderate-displacement fin-keel cruiser with skeg-hung rudder for good tracking, protection, and balance. Early boats (pre-1977) had a slightly shorter rig and more conservative sail plan suited to English Channel conditions, while later ones (including many for the U.S. market) adopted a taller rig for better light-air performance. The boat is not a lightweight racer but delivers reliable, comfortable passage making—stiff, dry, predictable, and low-fatigue in rough weather. Many have completed ocean crossings, circumnavigations, or long-term cruising.
Construction Details
| Designer | Raymond Wall |
|---|---|
| Builder | Camper and Nicholsons |
| Length | 35.250 ft |
| LOA | 35.250 ft |
| LWL | 29.500 ft |
| Beam | 11.000 ft |
| Displacement | 17630 lb |
| Ballast | 7390 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.070 ft |
| Year Built | 1971 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 45.17 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.58 ft |
| p | 36 ft |
| e | 11.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45.17 ft | 14.58 ft | 36 ft | 11.75 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Nicolson 35 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.24 ft - (11351 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 37.48 ft - (11424 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 218.2 ft² |
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Nicolson 35 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 37.97 ft - (11573 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.34 ft - (5895 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.93 ft - (10037 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.77 ft - (5111 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 318.41 ft² |
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Nicolson 35 - GENOA
| Luff | * 45.09 ft - (13743 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.57 ft - (7184 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.38 ft - (12917 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.87 ft - (6666 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 493.06 ft² |
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Nicolson 35 - GENOA
| Luff | 44 ft - (13411 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20.5 ft - (6248 mm) |
| Leech | 41 ft - (12497 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.38 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.01 ft - (5794 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.09 ° |
| Area | * 418.21 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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