The Hylas 46 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Hylas 46, a centre-cockpit cruising yacht, was designed by German Frers and built in the USA by Hylas Yachts Inc.

'Capers' a Hylas 46 sailboat on a visitors mooring in Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica, West Indies

A cutter-rigged version of the Hylas 46

Published Specification for the Hylas 46

Underwater Configuration: Fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 46'3" (14.1m)

Waterline Length: 40'0" (12.2m)

Beam: 13'9" (4.2m)

Draft: 6'6" (2.0m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop, but some were produced with a cutter rig

Displacement: 27,777lb (12,599kg)

Designer: German Frers

Builder: Hylas Yachts (USA)

Year First Built: 1995

Owners Association: Hylas Yacht Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Hylas 46

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 20.5

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 44.5

Displacement/Length Ratio: 194

Comfort Ratio: 31.3

Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Hylas 46

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 20.5 suggests that, in the right hands, the Hylas 46 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 44.5 means that the Hylas 46 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 194, tells us the Hylas 46 is a light-to-moderate displacement sailboat, which means she'll carry a reasonable amount of cruising gear without it having much of an effect on her performance.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 31.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Hylas 46 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 tells us that a Hylas 46 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

More about the Hylas 46 Sailboat...

The Hylas 46 is a modern and sleek sailboat that combines elegance, innovation and precision. It has a fine entry and a wide beam that carries well aft, creating a spacious aft master cabin and a powerful sailing performance.

It has a fin keel with a choice of deep or shoal draft, and a deep spade rudder supported by a partial skeg for a sporty feel under sail.

It has a robust sail plan with double spreaders and split lower shrouds, and a choice of a conventional or in-mast furling mainsail.

It has a high and compact center cockpit with all running rigging led back for convenient sail handling.

It has a wide sugar-scoop stern that offers easy access to the water and ample storage for dive gear.

It has a beautiful hand-finished teak interior with abundant storage, refined elegance and unsurpassed electrical and mechanical systems.

Accommodation
The Hylas 46 has a comfortable and luxurious interior that can accommodate up to six guests in three cabins:

The aft master cabin is grand, with a larger-than-queen-size island berth, extensive storage, a usable desk, good ventilation and lots of room to walk around. It has an ensuite head with a separate shower stall;

The forward guest cabin has a V-berth that can be converted into a double bed with an insert, and also has ample storage and ventilation. It has access to the forward head, which can also be used as a day head from the saloon;

The third cabin is located on the port side aft of the saloon, and has upper and lower single berths that can be used as sea berths or extra storage.

The saloon is spacious and inviting, with a U-shaped settee on the starboard side that can seat six people around a large teak table. The table can be lowered to create an additional double berth if needed. On the port side, there is a long settee that can also serve as a single berth. There are lockers and shelves above both settees for more storage.

The galley is located on the starboard side aft of the saloon, and is well-equipped for cooking at sea or at anchor. It has a double stainless steel sink with hot and cold water, a three-burner propane stove with oven and broiler, a top-loading refrigerator and freezer, a microwave oven, ample counter space and plenty of drawers and cabinets for storing food and utensils.

The navigation station is located on the port side opposite the galley, and has a large chart table with an adjustable seat, an instrument panel with all the necessary electronics and controls, a breaker panel for the electrical system, and more storage for charts and books.

Hull and Deck
The hull of the Hylas 46 is made of solid hand-laid fiberglass with vinylester resin for osmosis protection. It has an external lead keel bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts. The deck is made of fiberglass sandwich with balsa core for stiffness and insulation. It has molded-in nonskid surfaces for safety and durability.

The deck hardware is top-notch, with stainless steel bow and stern pulpits, stanchions, cleats, chocks, handrails and dorade vents.

The cockpit has a single leather-covered wheel on a pedestal, with a compass, engine controls, and instrument displays.

It has two primary winches and two secondary winches within easy reach of the helmsman, and two more winches on the coachroof for the halyards and reefing lines;

It has a large cockpit table with folding leaves and a built-in cooler;

It has comfortable seating for six people, with cushions and backrests;

It has two large lockers under the seats for more storage.

Mast and Rigging
The mast of the Hylas 46 is made of aluminum by Kemp, and has double spreaders and split lower shrouds. It is keel-stepped for strength and stability and has a choice of conventional or in-mast furling.

Keel and Rudder
The keel of the Hylas 46 is a fin keel with a choice of deep or shoal draft. The deep draft version has a lead bulb that draws 6'6", while the shoal draft version has a lead wing that draws 5'5". Both versions have a ballast/displacement ratio of 0.44, giving the Hylas 46 excellent stability and righting moment.

The rudder of the Hylas 46 is a deep spade rudder made of fiberglass with a stainless steel stock. It is well balanced and supported by a partial skeg that protects it from grounding and provides directional stability. The steering system is cable-driven with a quadrant and chain on the rudder post. The wheel is connected to the quadrant by stainless steel rods.

Options and Features
The Hylas 46 is a semi-custom sailboat that can be tailored to suit the owner's preferences and needs. Some of the options and features that are available include:

A cutter rig with an inner forestay and staysail;
A carbon fiber mast and boom;
A self-tacking jib;
A gennaker or spinnaker with pole;
An electric winch package;
A bow thruster;
A generator;;
An air conditioning system;
A watermaker;
A solar panel system;
A wind generator;
A davit system;
A dinghy and outboard motor;
A custom interior layout.

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.