Some history, from Ganbare to Peterson 34

- November 19, 2017

First some history about the Peterson 34 pedigree, the “Ganbare” (good luck in Japanese).

“Ganbare”, the famous one tonner of Doug Peterson is an unforgettable milestone of the yachting history : Like “America” and “Dorade”, “Ganbare” of 1973 changed the yacht design, and since than the racing yachts (but also the cruisers) took inspiration from her hull. It is a very simple and small boat built on budget, but her easy lines, and her light and strong construction marked the step.

During the One Ton Cup of 1973, in Sardinia Italy, even in a breeze "Ganbare" was fast, and went on to finish first in four of the five races. But such a dominant display was not to be rewarded with the Cup itself, as a navigation error in the middle distance ocean race saw Peterson and his crew finished second overall, Peterson achieved what was termed at the prizegiving as a moral victory, Ganbare was sold before the series ended.

Since that race, "Ganbare" won in the Mediterranean sea an extraordinary number of races both in her level class and in handicap races.

See has been beautifully restored in 2007 and is still racing in the Mediterranean Panarai classic yacht challenge. (http://www.paneraiclassicyachtschallenge.com/en/home/ )

More on the Ganbare history:

http://rbsailing.blogspot.com.br/2013/04/ganbare-peterson-one-tonner.html

PETERSON 34

This fast, tough racer-cruiser is well suited for offshore racing

American yacht designer Doug Peterson gained the attention of the world’s most competitive sailors when he unveiled the one tonner Ganbare in 1973. The 35-foot sloop was innovative below the waterline, and it was praised for its looks and sailing capability. It went on to win the SORC. By 1976, Peterson had designed the Peterson 34, an offshore racer-cruiser.

The Peterson 34 went into production at Texas-based Island Yachts/Composite Technologies, and 92 were built until production ceased in 1981. Composite Technologies, established by boatbuilder Andy Green in Corpus Christi, Texas, was acquired sometime around 1976 by boatbuilder and rigger Marion Hayes. Hayes renamed the company Island Yacht Corp. and relocated production to League City, Texas.

It was during this era that Peterson’s designs dominated offshore racing, with winning IOR boats Gumboots, Eclipse, and Ragamuffin. He also designed several stock racers such as the Contessa 35 and the New York 40.

The majority of Peterson’s performance cruisers were considered rugged enough for ocean racing. Peterson once said the 34 “was built to deliver about eight people quickly and safely from point A to point B.”

Above is from an article in SAIL magazine, to see more:
http://sailingmagazine.net/article-1640-peterson-34.html