briefest appearance in the UK before being loaded for
shipping to her new owner in Spain the day after our
sail, had a second set of winches to make life easier.
Adding a bow-thruster and, perhaps, a stern-thruster
too, makes berthing as much of a push-button
operation as sailing and allows the boat to get in and
out of berths she wouldn’t otherwise be able to use.
Spars are by Seldén, the chunky mast being deck-
stepped with two sets of spreaders. It’s not an
enormous rig, but the C50’s relatively light weight
and long waterline give her a sail area/displacement
ratio of just over 20 and a displacement/length ratio
of 148. She’s ballasted by a bulbed fi n keel in cast iron
with a standard draught of 7ft 7in (2.30m), while the
broad stern demands that the single rudder be almost
as deep as the keel. Of course a single rudder can
present a challenge with a dinghy garage, though it’s
far enough forward and with the stock angled to
create space for a dinghy to fi t in athwartships.
HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE
On the basis of the numbers involved in the
fundamental ratios, the C50 should be reasonably
slippery under sail – at least in the middle of the wind
range. Her wetted area might make her a little sticky
in light airs, while the high freeboard and hull
volume, combined with the iron keel of modest
draught and weight, might mean that she’s not
leading the way when it comes to punching upwind
into steep seas and 30 knots of wind. That’s not what
she’s all about.
In the fl at water and benign conditions of our test,
she went very nicely and presented no quirks or
foibles. From the photo boat when the wind was still
gusting over 20 knots it was clear she was hard
pressed after we encouraged the crew to unfurl the
full mainsail. That might have been because the long
loop of the bowline attaching the sheet to the
low-clewed headsail stopped it from being sheeted in
fully. Keeping the headsail full meant sailing too deep
upwind, which will always present a challenge in
fresh conditions.
With the sheet’s attachment shortened and the
clew block-to-block, she was fi ne even when,The C50 is comfortable,
fast and easy to handle
Twin offset tables
in the cockpit allow
easy access to the
companionway.
Forward is a wide,
low, flat coachroof
with built-in
sunbathing areas