Oyster 435
Troon Yacht Haven
This Oyster 435 is a capable yacht with a good turn of speed that is equally at home exploring local waters and venturing further offshore. Its spacious cockpit and well balanced feel…
£45,000
Used
Rival 41 AC
Cardiff
£69,000
Enquire about this boat - Length 41ft
- Type Cruising Yacht
- Cabins 3
- Year 1980
Overview
PART EXCHANGE & FINANCE AVAILABLE
GENERAL REMARKS
Border Rival is a Rival 41 Aft Cockpit with just three owners since new, known for her solid construction, sea-kindly design, and reputation as a true blue-water yacht. The current owners have had her for nearly a decade, during which she has been upgraded extensively with new standing rigging, renewed Treadmaster, updated teak, modern Raymarine navigation systems, and much more. She comes with a full history of receipts and a detailed maintenance spreadsheet.
When last surveyed out of the water, some early signs of osmosis were noted, though without delamination. Importantly, she has been priced to reflect this and remains a very capable yacht with huge potential for continued long-distance cruising. With her combination of solid build quality, extensive inventory, and thoughtful upgrades, Border Rival represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking for a proven offshore design that is ready to be enjoyed and further personalised.
I’m not often moved to make personal remarks on a given yacht, but in the case of Border Rival I feel compelled to do so. I first encountered this boat nearly ten years ago when she was ashore in Cardiff under her previous ownership. What struck me then, as now, is how immediately attractive she is on the eye, while at the same time radiating the sturdiness and confidence of a true offshore cruiser. Step aboard and you feel straight away that this is a yacht built to take you anywhere. The Rival “keyhole” bulkhead in the saloon is an enduring hallmark of the marque, and for my money it makes the 41 AC one of the finest distance cruising layouts of its era.
Seeing her again under her present ownership, it’s clear how well she has been cared for and continuously invested in. The upgrades to rigging, electronics, and interior systems show both attention and commitment, while details like the condition of the external woodwork and the thoughtful sail wardrobe underline the love and money that has gone into keeping her in good order. Of course, like any yacht of this age, there are some routine maintenance items and natural signs of wear that a new owner will expect to address in time, but these pale against the backdrop of a well-found, generously equipped yacht with a proven blue-water pedigree.
In short, Border Rival is one of those rare yachts that makes you pause. She is handsome, immensely capable, and clearly cherished. For a sailor looking for a trustworthy, ocean-ready yacht with character and substance, she is well worth serious consideration.
Video
Specification
The boat
- Make
- Rival
- Model
- 41 AC
- Year
- 1980
- Condition
- Used
- Designer
- Peter Brett
Dimensions
- Length overall
- 41ft
- Beam
- 12ft 3in
- Max draft
- 5ft 11in
Accommodation
- Cabins
- 3
- Heads
- 2
- Berths
- 9
Engine and build
- Engines
- Perkins Sabre Diesel 65hp
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Hull construction
- GRP
- Keel
- Fin keel
Listing
- Lying
- Cardiff
- Reference
- 051154
Full details
Accommodation
Saloon
- Large U-shaped seating to port with height adjustable table
- Bench seating to starboard, with pilot berth and lee cloths
- Upholstered steel mast support in saloon
- Multiple lockers (alcove, cave and under-seat)
- Curtains to windows, overhead skylight
- Stereo/CD player with USB port and saloon speakers
- Refitted fiddles and galley varnish work (2022)
- LED bulbs installed in saloon and galley (2018)
Galley
- Force 10 gimballed 4-burner stove with oven and grill
- Stainless steel fridge and freezer with Frigoboat compressor, auto-switching to shorepower
- Stainless steel sink with mixer tap, fresh and saltwater hand pumps
- Crockery storage and ample lockers
Forward Cabin
- Double V-berth (or two singles) with storage under
- Hanging locker, drawers, and access to bow thruster battery
- Ensuite forward heads
Forward Heads
- Baby Blake WC
- Stainless steel basin with hot/cold mixer and shower head
- Lockers and mirror
Aft Cabin
- Double berth with lee cloth plus pilot berth
- Multiple lockers, drawers, hanging space
- Access hatches to engine sides
- EPIRB storage
Aft Heads
- Jabsco compact WC
- Stainless steel basin with shower head mixer
- Teak grating with shower sump and pump
- Mirror and lockers
Mechanical and rigging
Hull and Construction
Deck fittings renewed, including winch pads, block pads, jackstaff, dorade boxes, grabrails, cockpit slates, teak hatch frame and sole grating (2018)
- GRP hull and deck mouldings
- Epoxy coated with 5 coats of Gelshield 200 (2002)
- Long fin keel with full skeg, internal ballast
- Bronze through-hull fittings with Blakes tapered seacocks
- Treadmaster deck covering, renewed with additional panelling, gunnel capping and rubbing strake belting (2018)
- Hatch repair (2018)
- Companionway varnish and refinishing (2018)
- Wash, cut and polish (2017)
- Repair of unwanted hull fitting holes (2017)
- Antifoul and service of seacocks (2017)
Engine and Systems
- Perkins/Sabre M65 65hp diesel (2000), replacing original Perkins 4.108
- Hurth HBW 250-2R reversing gearbox
- Maxprop three-bladed feathering propeller via Aqua Drive coupling
- Sleipner SP75T bow thruster (4.4Kw / 75kg thrust)
- 70 gallons stainless steel fuel tank with gauge
- New zinc anode, engine waterpipe, and steering arm cleaned (2016)
- Cold water pump replaced (2016)
- Engine services: 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024
- Stern gland packing, gearbox and control levers checked (2018)
- New Jabsco water pump (2023)
- Fresh water pump refit & diesel drain tap (2022)
- Manual bilge pump serviced, impeller replaced (2020)
- Mechanical bilge pump engine mounted fitted/refitted (2020, 2022) - serviced in 2024
- Engine coolant replaced (2022)
- Bow toilet seacock tightened, stern toilet outlet pipe leak repaired, bilge pump and steering tested (2024)
- New engine soundproofing kit available
Rigging and Sails
- Sloop rig, deck-stepped alloy mast and boom with twin spinnaker poles plus jockey pole
- Mast air draught 18m incl. VHF aerial
- Separate trysail track
- Stainless steel standing rigging (replaced 2018, with new Selden cheeks)
- Guardwires replaced (2018)
- Winches serviced (2018)
- Sprayhood & boom cover washed, reproofed and repaired (2018, 2022, 2024)
- Dodgers washed, reproofed, stitched and repaired (2018)
- Ratsey & Lapthorne mainsail with slab reefing (3 reefs)
- Ratsey & Lapthorne roller genoa
- Reckmann furling system
- Ratsey & Lapthorne spinnaker, working jib, trysail, storm jib, ghoster, cruising chute
- Crusader heavy weather staysail
- Storm jib washed and serviced (2020)
- Mainsail and roller genoa winter serviced (2022)
- Winches: 2 x Lewmar 45ST, 2 x Lewmar 42ST, multiple Lewmar 40ST, 30ST, 16ST across mast, mainsheet and traveller
Cockpit and Deck
- Spacious aft cockpit
- Whitlock Mamba wheel steering with emergency tiller
- Raymarine ST8001 autopilot with SBG course computer (linked to steering)
- Aries servo-paddle windvane self-steering
- Cockpit sprayhood, dodgers and mainsail cover
- Cockpit teak fittings and varnished binnacle base (2022)
- Mooring warps and fenders (new lines 2022)
- Substantial stainless steel double roller stemhead fitting
- Pulpit, pushpit and guardrails in stainless steel
- Teak toe rails, rubbing strake and cockpit grating
- Multiple cleats, fairleads and U-bolts for secure mooring and rigging
- Binnacle compass (Sestrel)
Inventory
Navigation Equipment and Electronics
- Raymarine Quantum radar (2018)
- Raymarine Axiom 9 chartplotter (2019, at chart table)
- Garmin 4012 chartplotter (cockpit)
- Raymarine i50 Tridata and i50 Wind instruments (2017, with repeater at chart table)
- Mast rewiring and new depth, speed, wind transducers fitted (2017)
- Mast LEDs installed (2018)
- Alternator and low-voltage battery alarm (2018)
- HDRi regulator fitted to wind generator (2018)
- Axiom chart plotter installation (2019)
- Saloon conduits rewired, redundant wiring removed, depth transducer cable tidied, autohelm drive motor serviced (2020)
- New sockets, galvanic isolator, anode fitted (2020)
- Icom IC-M505 DSC VHF
- Yaesu FRG-100 long-range receiver
- EPIRB: Smartfind G5 (registered)
Safety and Miscellaneous
- Lifebuoys x2 with lights and danbuoy
- Echomax radar reflector (mast mounted)
- Manual bilge pump in cockpit
- Engine-driven Jabsco bilge pump
- Plastimo bilge blower (2020)
- Fire extinguishers renewed (2024), fire blanket, smoke alarm
- Jackstays, harness points, MOB recovery kit
- Aquasignal Series 40 tricolour/anchor light (2016)
- Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide monitor (2016)
- Zodiac inflatable tender with removable floor
- Tohatsu 2.5hp outboard
Disclaimer: YACHTS.CO INTERNATIONAL LTD offers the details of this vessel for sale but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of the information contained in the specification or warrant the condition of the vessel or equipment. A buyer should instruct his agents, or surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered for sale subject to no prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
VAT, CE and RCD: prices are as advertised for the seller. Unless the listing clearly says so, don’t assume a boat is VAT paid or that its price includes VAT. Boats first placed on the UK or EU market since 16 June 1998 generally have to comply with the Recreational Craft Directive (in Great Britain, the Recreational Craft Regulations 2017) and carry a CE or UKCA mark with a Declaration of Conformity. Before you buy, ask for and check evidence of the boat’s VAT status and RCD compliance, and take advice if it is to be imported or exported.
Buying through a broker: when YACHTS.CO INTERNATIONAL LTD sells a used boat as broker for its owner, the contract of sale is between you and the owner, and buying from a private owner gives you fewer statutory rights than buying from a business. Any agreement is subject to contract. We recommend an independent survey and a sea trial before you commit.
Some wording on our website, such as search and photo descriptions, news articles and some of our own listings, is drafted or tidied with the help of AI and checked by our team before it is published. How we use AI.
Similar boats
Dehler 43 CWS
Troon Yacht Haven
The Dehler 43 CWS is a fast and comfortable cruiser/racer that is equally at home coastal cruising or making extended offshore passages. The central winch system (CWS) enables all lines…
£72,000
Rival 36
Troon Yacht Haven
The Rival 36 is a classic cruiser, with its proven seakeeping capabilities and with an impressive background of long-distance cruising and ocean crossings. 'Osprey' has been sailed…
£58,000
Not found the right boat? Tell us what you're looking for and we'll find it, including boats that aren't advertised yet.