BoatsGulfstar Yachts 43

Gulfstar Yachts 43

Masthead Sloop · Long Keel · 1976–1978

A shallow-draft masthead sloop by Vince Lazarra, designed with a long keel for stable, comfortable coastal cruising

Designed by Vince Lazarra & Richard C. Lazarra.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Gulfstar Yachts 43, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draftDraws 1.07 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelyComfort 30Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.73Bluewater
LightD/L 156Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 14.0Powered-up
TenderBallast 24%Stiff

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

  • Draws less than ~99% of boats her size on file

Compared with 314 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.

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
23.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.0
Displacement / length
156.1
Comfort ratio
29.6
Capsize screening
1.73
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1668
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1976–1978
Units built
80
Designer
Vince Lazarra, Richard C. Lazarra
Builder
Gulfstar Yachts

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.

Island Packet 4012.19 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibility
From Sicily to the Balearics by way of Sardinia ⛵ 460 miles by sailboat with Maurizio EP. 11:34from Alfredo Contaldo
Islander Yachts Freeport 4112.50 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA long-keeled staysail ketch derived from the Islander 40MS, featuring an interior redesign by Robert Perry
OPB: Islander Freeport 41 sailboat tour and sail to Catalina Island (Dec 2025)0:02from keeldragger
Cabo Rico 3811.58 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Tiburon 36, offering a heavy-displacement cutter platform for stable blue-water sailing
Trawler Breaks Free of Mooring. Docks Itself Perfectly Across the River. from Hold Fast!
Island Packet 4413.41 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 13.4-meter blue-water cutter with a 1.47-meter draft, balancing heavy-displacement stability with shoal-water access
No One Wants This ISLAND PACKET 44! Ep 367 - Lady K Sailing0:52from Lady K Sailing
Downeaster 3811.58 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterA 1974-era cutter with a 35.4 comfort ratio, built for stable, long-distance voyaging on a heavy-displacement hull
Why Sailors Still Want This Slow Old Cruiser – Down East 38from Practical Sailor
Shannon Yachts 38 PH11.51 mSame hull family1.7 m shorterA long-keeled cutter designed by Stadel for offshore stability, offering a comfortable motion and steady passage-making
A Sailboat With No Keel? Shannon Shoalsailer 351:37from Lady K Sailing

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.

Gulfstar Yachts 41A fin-keel masthead sloop built from 1973 to 1975, offering a balanced displacement for coastal cruisingGulfstar Yachts 53 MSA shoal-draft masthead ketch designed for comfortable long-range cruising with a generous 4.57-meter beamGulfstar Yachts 37A Vince Lazzara-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for comfortable cruising in a stable 8.8-ton hullGulfstar Yachts 36 MS PHA shoal-draft motorsailer with a long keel, designed for comfortable coastal cruising and protected waters

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