The Bavaria 44 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Bavaria 44, an aft cockpit fractional sloop, was designed by J&J Design and built in Germany by Bavaria.

A Bavaria 44

Published Specification for the Bavaria 44

Underwater Configuration: Bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 45'9" (14.0m)

Waterline Length: 37'6" (11.4m)

Beam: 13'10" (4.2m)

Draft: 6'5" (2.0m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 21,164lb (9,600kg)

Designer: J&J Design

Builder: Bavaria (Germany)

Year First Built: 2002

Year Last Built: 2004

Owners Association: Bavaria Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Bavaria 44

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 19.8

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 31.3

Displacement/Length Ratio: 179

Comfort Ratio: 24.6

Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bavaria 44

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 19.8 suggests that the Bavaria 44 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 31.3 would usually mean that the Bavaria 44 would have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of the keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 179 tells us the Bavaria 44 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24.6 suggests that crew comfort of a Bavaria 44 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 is on the cusp of suitability for an ocean passage, so venture offshore with caution.

Article: The Bavaria 44 Sailboat

The Bavaria 44 is a modern cruiser-racer that combines a sleek and elegant design with a powerful and efficient hull shape. The boat has a fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast and swept-back spreaders. The sail plan includes a mainsail with in-mast furling or slab reefing, a genoa with roller furling, and an optional gennaker or spinnaker. The boat has a fin keel with a bulb or a winged option, and a balanced spade rudder. The boat is steered by a single wheel or twin wheels in the aft cockpit.

The Bavaria 44 has a spacious and bright interior that can accommodate up to eight people in four separate cabins. The boat has two heads, one with a separate shower stall. The boat also has a large saloon with a U-shaped dinette and a navigation station, and a well-equipped galley with a stove, oven, fridge and freezer. The boat has ample storage space throughout, as well as plenty of ventilation and natural light from the numerous hatches and portlights.

The Bavaria 44 is equipped with a Volvo Penta diesel engine that delivers 55 hp or 75 hp depending on the version. The boat has a fuel capacity of 210 liters (55 gallons) and a water capacity of 360 liters (95 gallons). The boat also has an electric windlass, hot water system, shore power connection, battery charger, stereo system, VHF radio, GPS plotter, autopilot, depth sounder, speedometer and wind indicator.

Accommodation
The Bavaria 44 offers different accommodation layouts depending on the version and the intended use of the boat. The standard layout has four cabins: two aft cabins with double berths, one forward cabin with a V-berth, and one midship cabin with upper and lower bunks. This layout is ideal for chartering or for large families or groups of friends.

The Bavaria 44 Standard Layout

The owner's version has three cabins: one large aft cabin with a centerline double berth and an ensuite head with shower, one forward cabin with a V-berth and an ensuite head with shower, and one midship cabin with upper and lower bunks. This layout is ideal for couples who want more privacy and comfort.

The deck saloon version has three cabins: one aft cabin with a double berth, one forward cabin with a V-berth, and one midship cabin with upper and lower bunks. This layout has a raised saloon with panoramic windows that provide more light and visibility. This layout is ideal for those who prefer more living space inside.

Hull and Deck
The Bavaria 44 has a solid fiberglass hull with Kevlar reinforcement in high stress areas. The hull is built using hand-laid fiberglass matting and polyester resin. The hull is stiffened by longitudinal stringers and transverse bulkheads that are bonded to the hull.

The deck of the Bavaria 44 is made of fiberglass sandwich construction with balsa core for strength and insulation. The deck is bonded to the hull using polyurethane adhesive and stainless steel bolts. The deck has an anti-slip surface for safety and comfort. The deck also has teak wood on the cockpit seats, cockpit floor and transom platform.

The cockpit of the Bavaria 44 is large and ergonomic, with a single or twin wheel steering system, a pedestal with a compass and instruments, a folding cockpit table, and a sprayhood. The cockpit has two large lockers for storage, as well as a gas locker and a liferaft locker. The cockpit also has a transom door that leads to a swim platform with a ladder and a shower.

The deck has a stainless steel pulpit, pushpit, stanchions and lifelines. The deck also has six mooring cleats, two bow rollers, an anchor locker, an electric windlass, and a self-draining anchor well. The deck also has two dorade vents, eight opening hatches, and twelve opening portlights for ventilation and light.

The deck has two self-tailing genoa winches, two self-tailing halyard winches, two self-tailing mainsheet winches, and two self-tailing spinnaker winches. The deck also has two genoa tracks with adjustable cars, two mainsheet tracks with adjustable travelers, and two spinnaker poles with mast fittings. The deck also has a rigid boom vang, an adjustable backstay, and a roller furling system for the genoa.

Mast and Rigging
The Bavaria 44 has a fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast and swept-back spreaders. The mast is made of anodized aluminum and has internal halyards and wiring. The mast has a masthead light, a steaming light, a deck light, and an anemometer. The mast also has a spinnaker crane and a spinnaker halyard.
The boom of the Bavaria 44 is also made of anodized aluminum and has an outhaul and reefing lines. The boom has either an in-mast furling system or a slab reefing system for the mainsail.

The rigging of the Bavaria 44 is made of stainless steel wire with swaged terminals. The rigging includes upper and lower shrouds, intermediate shrouds, forestay and a backstay.

The sails of the Bavaria 44 are made of Dacron fabric and have UV protection. The sails include a mainsail with battens and two reefs, a genoa with foam luff and UV strip, and an optional gennaker or spinnaker with snuffer. The sails also have sail numbers, telltales, leech lines, foot lines, clew blocks, headboards, cringles, and sail bags.

Keel and Rudder
The Bavaria 44 has a fin keel with either a bulb or a winged option. The keel is made of cast lead and has an antimony alloy for strength and durability. The keel is bolted to the hull through stainless steel backing plates. The keel provides stability and performance to the boat.

The rudder of the Bavaria 44 is a balanced spade rudder that is attached to the hull by a stainless steel stock. It's of fiberglass sandwich construction with a foam core for lightness and strength.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.