2025 Sail Buyer's Guide

50 to 55 feet

The 50 to 60-foot category you were familiar with up until our 2023 edition of the Buyer’s Guide now includes so many models that as of last year, we had to split it in two! That’s right, most builders are trying to establish themselves in this large multihull niche. The 50 to 55-footers include both big production cruising boats and the very first semi-custom builds. Hulls of 15 to 16.5 meters in length also mark the maximum size of multihull that remains manageable by a family crew or when sailing short-handed.

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Published 29/11/2024

By Mark Bernie, Julie Echelle, Dick Sawyer, Emmanuel van Deth and Kim Wellington

Subscribers Only

Issue: 199

Published: jan. / mar. 2025

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Balance 502 CC

The 482 Only Better!

NEW

Forever Green

In the same way as the 442, which has become the 464 CC, the 482 has been redesigned as the 502 CC. But let’s be clear from the outset: this is no mere marketing restyling with slightly extended sugarscoops, but is in fact, a profound evolution. Starting with the structure, daggerboards and rudders, now in carbon/epoxy, and then focusing on the new hybrid propulsion system. The combination of the electric motors providing under-sail hydrogeneration, the 3 kWp of solar panels and the 36-kWh battery promises fuel savings of around 25%. In terms of performance, the manufacturer has announced an average speed of 8 to 9 knots on the wind, with peak speeds of 18/20 knots downwind in a breeze.

Builder: Balance Catamarans
Length: 50’ (15.25 m)
Beam: 25’11” (7.9 m)
Draft: 4’2”/7’5” (1.26/2.27 m)
Displacement: 28,220 lbs (12.8 t)
Mainsail: 1,029 sq ft (95.63 m²)
Self-tacking jib: 423 sq ft (39.31 m²)
Drivetrain: 2 x 45 HP and 2 x 15 kW
Fuel: 211 US gal (800 l)
Water: 206 US gal (780 l)
Price: from US$ 1,785,000 ex-tax
www.balancecatamarans.com

St Francis 50

Ready to Take On Every Ocean

Building on their experience with the St Francis 44 and 48, the South African manufacturers have launched an even more comfortable and recently improved 50-footer. Though the design might seem quite traditional and the nacelle rather low compared to what is being built in Europe, (in fact, at 33½”/85 cm, the bridgedeck clearance is fairly standard for a 50-footer), the St Francis 50 proves to be a very seaworthy catamaran, robust and able to face the worst of the gales. For the interior, the shipyard can meet all the wishes of its customers and ensures an excellent level of finish.

Builder: St Francis Marine
Length: 50’ (15.25 m)
Beam: 26’3” (8 m)
Draft: 4’1” (1.25 m)
Displacement: 27,600 lbs (12.5 t)
Mainsail: 943 sq ft (87.6 m²)
Genoa: 570 sq ft (53 m²)
Drivetrain: 2 x 57 HP
Fuel: 232 US gal (880 l)
Water: 355 US gal (1,350 l)
www.stfranciscatamarans.com

Lagoon 51

The Overlapping Genoa Makes a Comeback

Presented in April 2022, the Lagoon 51 is in fact a successful evolution of the 50. But what’s new about it? We note that the sugarscoops are significantly longer and especially are equipped with a bit of an overhang to facilitate moving around when the catamaran is in port. The raised cockpit and the sunbathing areas, still accessible from both sides, have been transformed into a real flybridge, completed by a front sun lounging space. The builder has also managed to integrate 2.7 kWp of solar panels. The big surprise is that the rig no longer sits atop the coachroof, meaning the sacrosanct self-tacking jib is no more. Lagoon has therefore moved “astern” by stepping its mast at the front of the nacelle.

Builder: Lagoon
Length: 50’4” (15.35 m)
Beam: 26’7” (8.1 m)
Draft: 4’7” (1.4 m)
Displacement: 43,430 lbs (19.7 t)
Mainsail: 1,055 sq ft (98 ...

This article was published in the issue 199. To read the full article, purchase this issue or subscribe from $3/month.