The Bavaria 50 Cruiser
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Bavaria 50, a light displacement cruising sloop, was designed by Farr Yacht Design and built in Germany by Bavaria Yachts.

A Bavaria 50 Cruiser

Published Specification for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

Underwater Profile: Bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 49'2" (15.0m)

Waterline Length: 45'6" (13.9m)

Beam: 15'4" (4.7m)

Draft: 6'1" (1.9m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 27,778lb (12,600kg)

Designer: Farr Yacht Design

Builder: Bavaria Yachts (Germany)

Year First Built: 2005

Published Design Ratios for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 22.0

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 36.4

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 132

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.3

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 22.0 suggests that, in the right hands, the Bavaria 50 Cruiser will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.4 would usually mean that the Bavaria 50 Cruiser would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably 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 her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 132, tells us the Bavaria 50 Cruiser 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 24.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Bavaria 50 Cruiser 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 indicates that a Bavaria 50 Cruiser would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

More about the Bavaria 50...

The Bavaria 50 is a cruising sailboat that was designed by Farr Yacht Design, a renowned American naval architecture firm. It was built between 2010 and 2015, and it is available in different versions, such as the standard, the holiday, the vision and the cruiser. Each version has its own features and options, but they all share the same hull and deck design, which is optimized for stability, speed and comfort.

The Bavaria 50 Accommodation Layout

The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

has a spacious cockpit that can accommodate up to 10 people comfortably. It has twin wheels for steering, which provide better visibility and access to the transom. It also has a large folding table, a bimini top, a sprayhood and plenty of storage space. The cockpit is connected to the swim platform by a folding ladder, which makes it easy to get in and out of the water;

has a sleek and modern deck design, with flush hatches, wide side decks and stainless steel handrails. It has a deck-stepped mast with swept-back spreaders. It also has a furling mainsail and a furling genoa, which make sailing easier and safer. The boat has six winches, four of which are electrically operated;

has a powerful engine that can propel it up to 9 knots under power. It has a Volvo Penta D2-75 diesel engine that delivers 75 hp (55 kW) and a fuel tank capacity of 71 gallons (270 litres). It also has a bow thruster that helps with manoeuvring in tight spaces.

Accommodation
The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

has a luxurious and comfortable interior that can sleep up to 10 people in five separate cabins. The standard version has three double cabins aft, one double cabin forward and one bunk cabin forward. The holiday version has four double cabins aft and one double cabin forward. The vision version has two double cabins aft, one double cabin forward and one master cabin forward with an ensuite bathroom. The cruiser version has three double cabins aft, one double cabin forward with an ensuite bathroom and one bunk cabin forward;

has a spacious saloon that features a U-shaped sofa, a large dining table, two extra seats and plenty of storage space. It also has a flat-screen TV, a stereo system and an air conditioning unit. The saloon is bright and airy thanks to the large windows and hatches that let in natural light;

has a fully equipped galley that includes a three-burner stove, an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave oven, a sink and ample counter space. It also has plenty of cabinets and drawers for storing food and utensils;

has two or three bathrooms depending on the version. They all have electric toilets, showers, sinks and mirrors, along with hot water heaters and holding tanks.

Hull and Deck
The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

has a solid fiberglass hull that is reinforced with Kevlar for extra strength and durability. It also has an epoxy barrier coat that protects it from osmosis. The hull shape is designed to reduce drag and increase lift, resulting in better performance and stability;

has a fin keel with a bulb that provides a low centre of gravity and a high righting moment. The keel is bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts and nuts. The keel draft is 6.1 feet (1.85 meters) in the standard version, but there is also a shoal draft option of 5.4 feet (1.65 meters);

has a spade rudder that is attached to the hull with a stainless steel stock and bearings. The rudder is balanced and responsive, and it can be easily accessed from the transom for maintenance;

has a white gelcoat finish that is easy to clean and maintain. It also has teak wood accents on the cockpit floor, seats and transom, which add a touch of elegance and warmth.

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.