BoatsSkye 51

Skye 51

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1980

A heavy-displacement cutter designed by Kaufmann and Ladd, also marketed as the Oceanic 51 and Mao Ta 51

Designed by Kaufmann, Ladd & F. Michael Kaufman, built by Mao TA Shipyard (Taiwan).

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 38 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 38
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

219 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 219
EasygoingPowered-up

17.7 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.7
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1605 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.7
Displacement / length
218.6
Comfort ratio
38.4
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
8.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2185
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1980
Units built
18
Designer
Kaufmann, Ladd, F. Michael Kaufman
Builder
Mao Ta Shipyard (TAIWAN), (Taiwan)

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Orion 5015.09 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Gary Mull-designed staysail ketch built for offshore stability with a heavy displacement and skeg-mounted rudder
Swan 5115.62 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe inaugural German Frers design for Swan, this masthead sloop balances a powerful 17.85 SA/D ratio with offshore comfort
Kraken Yachts 50 (Dibley)15.24 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 15.24-metre offshore cruiser with a 19.77 sail area-to-displacement ratio for balanced performance in varied conditions
Dufour Yachts 4815.29 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 15.29-metre performance cruiser with a 4.85-metre beam and a 2.35-metre draft for offshore stability
Elan Yacht GT615.14 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA performance-oriented cruiser featuring striking exterior and interior styling by Studio F. A. Porsche
Bavaria Yachts 5115.60 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.6-metre masthead sloop with a 2.4-metre draft, designed for high-volume cruising and steady offshore speed

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 looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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