What the fleet has seen
The Bluewater 56 (Frers), as the fleet has seen it
Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.
The Bluewater 56 (FRERS) is a 16.5-meter masthead sloop designed by German Frers, built by Xiamen Hansheng Yacht Building, and produced from 2011 to the present. Originally marketed as the Hylas 56, Bluewater Yachts acquired the molds and renamed the model.0:49 It features a solid laminate hull reinforced with Teijin Twaron para-aramid fiber, hand-laid with vinyl ester resin without foam or balsa coring.1:53 The hull construction uses 16 to 24 alternating layers of fiberglass and aramid fiber, which the builder claims matches 8–10 mm aluminum in strength.1:16:51 Safety features include watertight bulkheads, an externally bolted lead keel, and a 60% skeg-supported rudder.3:26 The cutter-rigged sail plan typically incorporates Selden spars, with all controls led to the cockpit.14:40 Aboard *Be The Captain*, commissioning a new Bluewater 56 involved correcting factory wiring errors, such as a missing windlass solenoid and an electric furler routed to the wrong circuit.2:20 The vessel's electrical system includes 2,000 amp-hours of 24-volt lithium batteries and 10,000 watts of inverter capacity, which required adjusting absorption voltage settings to prevent generator overload.6:56 The interior features cedar-lined lockers, custom Corian counters, and Manship hatches.22:46
