BoatsSanta Cruz 52

Santa Cruz 52

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1992

A 1992 masthead sloop with a 2.74-metre draft and a displacement under 10,000 kilograms for high-speed performance

Designed by Bill Lee & Robert A. Smith.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Santa Cruz 52, on the water

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

Footage from keeldragger

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 20 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

2.03 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.03
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 93
EasygoingPowered-up

26.3 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 26.3
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws more than ~94% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1364 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Santa Cruz 52, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Santa CRUZ 52 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Bill Lee and Robert A. Smith, built by Santa Cruz Yachts from 1992 to the present. It measures 16.1 meters LOA with a 4.3-meter beam and a 2.7-meter draft, displacing 9525 kg. Aboard *Hoka Hay*, a Santa CRUZ 52 sailed the 1,000-nautical-mile Baja Bash from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to San Diego, California, motor-sailing north against prevailing winds and currents.1:14 This passage required a four-hour watch rotation and included stops in Cabo San Lucas and Bahia Tortugas for refueling.8:45 The crew caught dorado, marlin, and yellowfin tuna during the transit, which featured consistent headwinds and waves.11:48 The Santa CRUZ 52 is also available in a shoal draft version with a 7-foot draft.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

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
43.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
26.3
Displacement / length
93.2
Comfort ratio
19.9
Capsize screening
2.03
Hull speed
9.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2326
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1992
Designer
Bill Lee, Robert A. Smith
Builder
Santa Cruz 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.

Oceanis 51.1 (Benenteau)15.94 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 15.94-meter cruiser with a 2.3-meter bulb keel and a 13,929 kg displacement designed for modern, high-volume living
Baby on Board! Sailing from Athens to Aegina with Miss Lone Star1:46from Sailing Doodles
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/16016.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 16.06-metre performance cruiser built between 1996 and 2000, featuring a 2.13m bulb keel and spade rudder
We Found a Hidden Club on a ☢️ Radioactive Island - Sailing to Rongerik Atoll [Ep. 184]0:41from Sailing Sweet Ruca
Saga Marine 4815.94 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop built for performance cruising with a stiff 33% ballast ratio
Saga 48 // Boat Shopping18:16from 59° North Sailing
Jeanneau Yachts 5316.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser offering performance rig and shallow keel options, also marketed as the Sunsail 53
The ships destroyed by Hurricane Beryl0:51from Velero Regina
Beneteau First 53f515.90 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Bruce Farr performance cruiser styled by Pininfarina, featuring multiple cabin layouts and an optional shoal wing keel
How Knots Are Made on the Vespucci – I Sail Pills2:22from SVN solovelanet
Baltic Yachts 5216.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop built by Baltic, balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with stiff performance
Arctic Sailing to Norway - 5 weeks of winter sailing0:51from ArcticStern Ocean 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.

Santa Cruz 40A 1982 Bill Lee design featuring a 52% ballast ratio and a displacement-to-length profile built for rapid offshore speedSanta Cruz 50An IOR-optimized racer with a 50% ballast ratio, refined for competitive performance under the ruleSanta Cruz 70A custom-built 20-metre racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that allows for significant individual variationSanta Cruz 33A Bill Lee-designed masthead sloop built for speed, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a fin keel

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