BoatsBoreal 52

Boreal 52

Cutter · Keel/centreboard · First built 2014

A 15.86-metre aluminum cutter with a 3.13-metre draft, engineered for high-latitude exploration and blue-water speed

Designed by Jean-Francois Delvoye.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Boreal 52, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draftDraws 1.14 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

1.85 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.85
LightHeavy

174 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 174
EasygoingPowered-up

20.5 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.5
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

  • Beamier than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 178 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Boreal 52, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Boreal 52 is a 15.9-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Jean-Francois Delvoye and built by Boreal SARL since 2014. It features a keel/centerboard hull with twin daggerboards located near the stern, a beam of 4.7 meters, a draft of 3.1 meters, and a displacement of 16,499 kg. The model has an optional fuel capacity of 378 liters. A Boreal 52 was delivered from Annapolis to Belgium, navigating heavy traffic in the English Channel.10:17

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
29.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.5
Displacement / length
174.2
Comfort ratio
31.5
Capsize screening
1.85
Hull speed
9.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2472
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Aluminum
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2014
Designer
Jean-Francois Delvoye
Builder
Boreal

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Bestevaer 56ST17.58 mSame hull family1.7 m longerA Dykstra-designed aluminum lifting-keel cruiser built for serious offshore exploration and shoal-water access
Garcia Yachts Exploration 4514.88 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA rugged aluminum cutter by Berret-Racoupeau featuring a centerboard and dual rudders for high-latitude exploration
Alden Yachts 5416.48 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn extended-stern evolution of the 50-foot series, available in both center and aft cockpit layouts as well as cutter or ketch
Feeling 5516.80 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA 16.8-metre fractional sloop featuring a 3.6m lifting keel and dual rudders for deep-water performance
Ovni 45013.98 mSame hull family1.9 m shorterA Marc Lombard-designed lifting keel cruiser with dual rudders, built for versatility and shoal-water exploration
Stadtship 5617.10 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA high-performance aluminum fractional sloop featuring a lifting keel for versatile access to deep and shallow waters

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

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The fleet has more to say

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