All About the Express 37

The concept for the Express 37 was developed in 1984 by Carl Schumacher and boat builder Terry Alsberg of Alsberg Brothers Boatworks in Santa Cruz.  When Schumacher penned the Express 37, his objective was to design a boat that would excel on long ocean races, that was easy and safe to sail short-handed, and would have at least 6′ of standing headroom. The first boats built by Alsberg Brother Boatworks finished 1, 2 and 3 in the 1985 TransPac, an ocean race held on the West Coast.  There were eventually 65 built and these boats continue to compile an enviable record.

Schumacher’s design has come to be referred to as a “masthead-fractional” rig, given the large, low-aspect main and small, high-aspect foretriangle.  Helmsmen and trimmers find the design more forgiving to sail than a fractional rig.  With a high ballast-to-displacement ratio of 47% and the early adoption of hand-layup vacuum-bagging construction with a balsa core, she’s also a stiff boat well suited for windy conditions like those on San Francisco Bay.  With an active fleet on both East and West coasts, the Express 37 is a testament to Schumacher’s talent and the enduring appeal of the yachts he designed.