Formosa Yachts 51
Staysail Ketch · Long Keel · 1972–1984
A William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel that served as the foundation for multiple production yachts
Designed by William Garden.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Long Keel
See her sail
The Formosa Yachts 51, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Sailing Miss Lone Star
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.
- Heavier than ~95% of boats her size on file
- Draws more than ~77% of boats her size on file
- Beamier than ~86% of boats her size on file
Compared with 157 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 7 times across 3 channels of the fleet.
On the water
The Formosa Yachts 51 on video
What broke, what changed
Gear aboard, as the crews told it
Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.
FailedGoPro
The cameras battery died, preventing further recording of the navigation.
aboard Sailing Miss Lone Starseen July 202621:50
InstalledHighfield
Inflatable fenders from this brand are being prepared for docking.
aboard Sailing Miss Lone Starseen November 2025watch
WorkingNavionics
The crew uses Navionics for loading maps and chart plotting.
aboard Sailing Miss Lone Starseen August 20263:59
WorkingSunbrella
The dodger is made of Sunbrella fabric, which is not inherently waterproof but has a coating.
aboard Sailing Magic Carpetseen April 202610:16
Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Formosa Yachts 51 may be fitted out entirely differently.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
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.
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.
Keep asking
The fleet has more to say
Search what's been said about the Formosa Yachts 51, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.
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