Irwin Competition 37

Description

The Irwin Competition 37 (built only 1981–1982, approximately 25 hulls) was Ted Irwin’s short-lived attempt to inject real performance into the famously roomy Irwin 37 platform. Essentially a Mark V hull with a radically different deck, rig, and underbody, the Competition 37 swapped the center-cockpit cruiser layout for a low-profile flush deck, a tall fractional sloop rig (SA/D ~19–20), and a deep fin keel (6′6″ draft) with a balanced spade rudder. Displacement dropped to around 17,500 lbs with roughly 7,800 lbs of lead low in the fin, giving it a much higher ballast ratio (~44%) and dramatically stiffer, quicker motion than any previous Irwin 37. Below decks, the interior is surprisingly still quite livable for a performance-oriented boat—private aft cabin, big galley, and saloon—but headroom is reduced in places, and the finish is simpler to save weight. On the water it is easily the best-performing Irwin 37 variant: excellent upwind (points higher and faster than most IOR-era boats of similar length), responsive helm, and capable of sustained 7+ knot passage averages. Rare, quirky, and polarizing (cruisers think it’s too stripped-out, racers think it’s too heavy), the Competition 37 remains a cult classic: an affordable, American-built 1980s “cruiser-racer” that can actually race respectably under PHRF while still offering weekend or short-offshore cruising comfort.