Rocket 31 (Young Rocket 31 / Cygnus Rocket 31)
Description
The Rocket 31 (also known as the Young Rocket 31 or Cygnus Rocket 31) is a groundbreaking high-performance racer/cruiser from the early 1990s, designed by legendary New Zealand naval architect Jim Young. It pioneered the "sportsboat" or "pocket rocket" concept with its ultra-wide beam, lightweight advanced construction (cedar strip-plank with epoxy and glass, later versions in GRP molds), and blistering speed—often described as revolutionary for its era. The design originated from Jim Young's work on fast, beamy keelboats, with the famous prototype Camp Freddie (built for UK sailor Greg Peck) dominating races: it won every regatta entered, took overall Class 1 at Cowes Week 1994, and claimed the Round the Isle of Wight race against 1,800+ boats. This success helped spark the global sportsboat boom (influencing classes like the Young 88 and modern equivalents). The Rocket 31 is wide, fast, fun, and surprisingly accommodating for its size—great for club racing, short coastal cruises, or pushing limits in breezy conditions.
Construction Details
| Designer | Jim Young |
|---|---|
| Builder | Cygnus Marine (NZ) |
| Length | 31.700 ft |
| LOA | 31.700 ft |
| LWL | 27.560 ft |
| Beam | 12.795 ft |
| Displacement | 4806 lb |
| Max Draft | 7.480 ft |
| Year Built | 1994 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.70 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 41.30 ft |
| e | 17.70 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.70 ft | 11.50 ft | 41.30 ft | 17.70 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Rocket 31 (Young Rocket 31 / Cygnus Rocket 31) - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 41.3 ft - (12588 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.7 ft - (5395 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.16 ft - (13460 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 44.36 ft - (13521 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 365.1 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rocket 31 (Young Rocket 31 / Cygnus Rocket 31) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31.53 ft - (9610 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.12 ft - (4609 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.59 ft - (8409 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.23 ft - (4033 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 208.58 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rocket 31 (Young Rocket 31 / Cygnus Rocket 31) - GENOA
| Luff | * 37.44 ft - (11412 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.47 ft - (5630 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.33 ft - (10769 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 322.88 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rocket 31 (Young Rocket 31 / Cygnus Rocket 31) - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 37.44 ft - (11412 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 658.76 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.