The Westerly Ocean 49 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Westerly Ocean 49

Underwater Configuration: Fin keel and spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 48'6" (14.8m)

Waterline Length: 42'1" (12.8m)

Beam: 15'1" (4.6m)

Draft: 7'0" (2.1m)

Rig Type: Cutter - a sloop rigged version was also produced

Displacement: 28,935lb (13,125kg)

Designer: Ed Dubois

Builder: Westerly Marine Ltd. (UK)

Year First Built: 1993

Owners Association: Westerly Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Westerly Ocean 49

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: Not published

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 40.0

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 173

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 27.4

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Westerly Ocean 49

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1. The Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of the Westerly Ocean 49 is not publicly available. If you know differently, please contact us.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 40.0 means that the Westerly Ocean 49 will initially stand up reasonably well to her canvas in a moderate breeze, but she'll need a reef in the main to avoid heeling excessively in a gust.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 173, tells us the Westerly Ocean 49 is 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 27.4 suggests that crew comfort of a Westerly Ocean 49 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 Westerly Ocean 49 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.