Sailors who are enamored with performance, European styling, and the interior joinery and construction standards you expect from Scandinavian craftsmen should take a close look at the Finngulf 37. Those who have no intention of shelling out $300,000 for a semi-custom racer-cruiser built in Finland might want to test sail the boat anyway, because it is, above all, an enjoyable ride.

Based in Pohjankuru, Finland, Finngulf has been producing boats since the 1980s, but the line took a marked shift five years ago, when Karl-Johan Strahlmann, who was project manager for the Swan 45, was contracted for the design. Previous boats were designed by Swede Haken Sodergren, and these are still…