Sirius 310 DS - Amazing or What?

V1701

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If you haven't already seen this, or are bored I think this is well worth a watch, long but worth sticking with it:

Sirius 310 DS Full Tour

The freeboard looks to be no more than other similar sized modern boats, they seemingly haven't compromised hull form/sailing ability for internal volume. What they've done here, especially considering the layout & spec options, in just 31 feet, is pretty impressive...
 

Bobc

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They are extremely well thought-out boats, and ideal for a couple cruising the more northerly lattitudes. The 35 is really impressive.
 
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Laminar Flow

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If you haven't already seen this, or are bored I think this is well worth a watch, long but worth sticking with it:

Sirius 310 DS Full Tour

The freeboard looks to be no more than other similar sized modern boats, they seemingly haven't compromised hull form/sailing ability for internal volume. What they've done here, especially considering the layout & spec options, in just 31 feet, is pretty impressive...
The most impressive thing about the Sirius are their price ... 170,000 pounds sterling for the basic 31'.
 

Bobc

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The most impressive thing about the Sirius are their price ... 170,000 pounds sterling for the basic 31'.
The difference however between Sirius boats and other "quality brands" is that you can actually see where then money has gone in a Sirius.
 

Channel Sailor

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Wow. So many things sorted on this yacht that would eventually annoy or frustrate an owner of an AWB. It must be very heavy though. I have alway liked the idea of a workshop instead of an aft cabin, I recall RM do a similar option.
 

pvb

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Torsten Schmidt builds some nice boats, and his care and commitment are obvious. Inevitably, the boats are rather expensive. As a result, he doesn't sell many. As a result of that, their relative rarity (and cost) makes them less than easy to re-sell. Second-hand Sirius 310DS boats don't exactly fly off the shelf. They have 3 on their website at the moment.
 

NormanB

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Torsten Schmidt builds some nice boats, and his care and commitment are obvious. Inevitably, the boats are rather expensive. As a result, he doesn't sell many. As a result of that, their relative rarity (and cost) makes them less than easy to re-sell. Second-hand Sirius 310DS boats don't exactly fly off the shelf. They have 3 on their website at the moment.
He has a full order book + waiting list though?

Very well thought out vessels and I would join the queue with my winning lottery ticket.
 

johnalison

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Sirius are decent boats from a good builder but you can't expect miracles. I have only visited one, belonging to an E Coast member and it looks as if it has been updated since then. I thought that it was pleasant and comfortable but didn't get to sail. My impression from seeing them sail around the Baltic is that they do what you would expect from a fairly shallow draft boat with high topsides and an emphasis on accomodation, in that they will do what you ask but aren't as close-winded or as comfortable in rough seas as a more conventional design. If you want a small pilot-house boat, they may well be the best around.
 

Bru

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Like NormanB, a Sirius (probably a 40DS) is my lottery boat

The attention to detail is extraordinary and they're brilliantly thought out

Plus, how many designers and owners of a yacht building company in this day and age would happily spend getting on for half an hour chatting with a scruffy penniless MAB owner at a boat show? Torsten did even though it would have been patently obvious that there was no chance of me ever buying one of his boats
 

John_Silver

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What's the list price of a reasonably specified 310DS these days, inc VAT?

When I did the rounds at the 2019 Southampton Boatshow, with my "spec leveller" spreadsheet I came out with:
Sirius 310 For 2 comfort with big rig & lead keel to my cruising spec £340k inc VAT
Rassy 310 to similar spec £210k inc VAT
Rassy 340 to similar spec £315 inc VAT
Discovery built Southerly 330 to similar spec £330 inc VAT

The Sirius is definitely an impressive boat....and, of course a custom build.
 

pvb

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When I did the rounds at the 2019 Southampton Boatshow, with my "spec leveller" spreadsheet I came out with:
Sirius 310 For 2 comfort with big rig & lead keel to my cruising spec £340k inc VAT
Rassy 310 to similar spec £210k inc VAT
Rassy 340 to similar spec £315 inc VAT
Discovery built Southerly 330 to similar spec £330 inc VAT

The Sirius is definitely an impressive boat....and, of course a custom build.

Wow, that's a lot of money, 50% more than a similar Hallberg-Rassy.
 

Simon__

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They do look impressive on the accommodation front, how do they sail?

Playing devil’s advocate.. they almost look like a Vancouver 38p with the aft cabin chopped off, so what do they offer to be worth more than two comparable V34p (at the Sirius’ second hand prices of over £200,000)? Not a criticism, looking to open a debate.
 

rotrax

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The difference however between Sirius boats and other "quality brands" is that you can actually see where then money has gone in a Sirius.

I am certain that our choice of vessel is equal, if not superior to the Sirius in quality and it is equally easy to see where the money went.

I was impressed with a close inspection at a SIBS a few years ago, but our Island Packet SP Cruiser is its equal in design inovation and quality.

IMHO, of course - but I would say that, wouldnt I...............................;)
 

E39mad

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No doubt an impressive boat with a lot of thought gone into the various layouts. The two cabin version is the same layout as a Vancouver 34 Pilot, albeit the Vancouver is longer but also narrower. Many of the features are familiar.

Not sure the aft end of the galley works on the same level as the saloon as you can't reach the worktops without bending down. It works further forward where you drop a level or two.

A good Vancouver 34 Pilot is at least 15 years old now and could set you back up to £100,000.

A Regina such as this 35 maybe a good alternative:

2010 Regina 35 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk

Sirius no doubt have their following but even if I was lucky enough to have circa £350k to spend on a yacht I think I would be looking elsewhere.
 
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John_Silver

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Here are some comparisons I pulled together of what, to me, were the standout boats at Southampton in 2019 - which included the Sirius 310. My key criteria was suitability for long term, single handed, cruising. [ Cruising grounds Ireland, Baltic, North Sea, Atlantic France, (one day, North Spain, Portugal) - ie coastal cruising, rather than ocean crossing ]. Boat shaped boat review 2020.
 

fredrussell

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Well, I’ll be the sole voice of dissent then. It’s not even slightly attractive. I mean, I’m in no way a hater of modern looking boats - quite the opposite - but a boat should look nice shouldn’t it? Row away factor and all that? No?
I’ll get my coat.
 

doug748

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They do look impressive on the accommodation front, how do they sail?


As someone said they sail as you would expect, and probably a deal better.

The 310DS that is up for sale, Angarad, did the 2017 Round the Island which was probably a little gentle for the type but docile enough for family crews to use downwind sails if they had a mind

They completed the course in 10 hrs 44 elapsed time. To put this in context:

Red hot racers did this race in 6+ hours
Serious modern racers 7+
Fast cruiser racers/older racing boats 8+
Older smaller crusier/racers and AWBs of various flavours 9+
Steadier AWBs and the wounded 10+
Most boats finishing over 11 hours were of the smaller older variety.

There is always a huge spread but Angarad finished within striking distance of 7 Hanses and 34 Bavarias took over 10 hours. Also 32 ft is very much at the small end of the scale when looking at direct comparisons on elapsed time.


I am not normally this sad but I had some figures, on this particular race, to hand. :)

.
 

Bru

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A Nauticat 32 or 321 gives you most of that for a lot less.

Actually it doesn;t. You really need to get under the skin of the Sirius yachts to fully understand just what they offer. The design below decks is in it's own league, a lot of it being hidden from view until you need it. E.g. everywhere you look, there's pull out, pull up and/or pop out storage just where you need it n spaces that on other boats are just voids

That's where a heck of a lot of the cost difference comes in. It isn't cheap to make dozens of custom drawers, cubby holes, lockers etc. It's even less cheap to customise them to the exact requirements of the customer (if you supply Sirius with your chosen crockery and cutlery, for example, they will build the relevant storage to suit)

I do, by the way, rather like the Nauticat range as was (I believe they are still moribund having ceased trading?) and wouldn't say no to one of their boats but if I had the money ...
 
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