The Westerly Conway 36 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Westerly Conway 36, a centre-cockpit ketch, was designed by Laurent Giles and built in the UK by Westerly Marine Ltd.

'Weohgi', a ketch-rigged Westerly Conway 36, winter-sailing off the south coast of England.

A Westerly Conway centre-cockpit ketch.

Westerly went on to build several other versions on this 36' hull:

The Solway, like the Conway, was a centre-cockpit but with twin keels;
The Galway had twin keels and an aft-cockpit;
The Medway had a deep fin keel and an aft cockpit.

All were available as sloops or ketches.

Published Specification for the Westerly Conway 36

Underwater Profile: Fin keel and skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall: 35'9" (10.90m)

Waterline Length: 30'3" (9.22m)

Beam: 11'2" (3.40m)

Draft: 6'0" (1.83m)

Rig Type: Ketch or sloop

Displacement: 16,182lb (7,316kg)

Designer: Laurent Giles

Builder: Westerly Marine Ltd (UK)

Year First Built: 1975

Year Last Built: 1978

Owners Association: Westerly Owner Association

Published Design Ratios for the Westerly Conway 36

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: Not known

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 44.4

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 260

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 31.5

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Westerly Conway 36

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1. Her Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of the Westerly Conway 36 isn't known, but word has it she's no slouch.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 44.4 means that the Westerly Conway 36 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 260, tells us the Westerly Conway 36 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 31.5 suggests that crew comfort of a Westerly Conway 36 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 tells us that a Westerly Conway 36 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.