BoatsBestewind 50

Bestewind 50

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2008

A Dykstra-designed fractional sloop built for offshore comfort with a high displacement-to-length ratio

Designed by Dykstra Naval Architects, built by Km Yachtbuilders.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Bestewind 50, on the water

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

Footage from Berthon International

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 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.73
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 183
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.2
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

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

  • Heavier than ~89% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1840 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Bestewind 50, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Bestewind 50, designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and built by KM Yachtbuilders since 2008, is a fractional sloop with a fin w/bulb and spade rudder hull. It measures 15.0 m LOA, has a 4.4 m beam, a 2.1 m draft, and displaces 17000 kg. A deep keel option increases draft to 2.5m. The model can be equipped with an optional 110 hp Yanmar engine. A 1974 Beister 13.50, named *Bertina*, was converted to a fixed keel during a 2002 rebuild and features a Solent rig with a hydraulic furling genoa and self-tacking jib for single-handed operation. *Bertina* received a new Park Avenue carbon boom and full sail replacement in a 2012 refit.0:52 Its cockpit includes hydraulic winches, a hardtop with new glass windows, and a full enclosure, with a Raymarine autopilot and GPS unit at the main pedestal.1:59 Below deck, *Bertina* has two aft quarter berths, a galley with an induction hob, and a saloon with inlaid woodwork.3:39 Engine access is available from three points, and a generator and inverter are located beneath the companionway. *Bertina* has sailed primarily in United Kingdom waters and the Baltic.5:19

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

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
32.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.2
Displacement / length
183.5
Comfort ratio
35.8
Capsize screening
1.73
Hull speed
9.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2322
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Polyester composite
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2008
Designer
Dykstra Naval Architects
Builder
KM Yachtbuilders

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 49ST14.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15-metre aluminium cruiser with a fixed fin keel and bulb, designed for stability and offshore performance
Orion 5015.09 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Gary Mull-designed staysail ketch built for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and skeg-mounted rudder
Dufour Yachts 500 Grand Large15.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.1-metre fractional sloop with a 2.3-metre bulb keel, produced from 2011 to 2015 before the 512 update
Contest Yachts 50CS14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA George Nissen-designed fractional sloop with a high comfort ratio, built for stable and capable offshore cruising
Hallberg-Rassy 48 MKII14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for blue-water stability with a high comfort ratio and a deep fin keel
Hallberg-Rassy 4814.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motion

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Bestewind 50, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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