BoatsBoreal 52

Boreal 52

Cutter · Keel/centreboard · First built 2014

A 15.86-metre aluminium cutter with a 3.13-metre draft, engineered for high-latitude exploration and blue-water speed

Designed by Jean-Francois Delvoye.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Boreal 52, 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.

Shoal draughtDraws 1.14 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.85
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 174
EasygoingPowered-up

20.5 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.5
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

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

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

Compared with 178 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Boreal 52, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Boreal 52 is a 15.9-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Jean-Francois Delvoye and built by Boreal SARL since 2014, featuring a keel/centerboard hull and twin daggerboards near the stern. Its hard-chine bare metal hull, with 12mm bottom plating, is designed for high-latitude and blue-water cruising.1:17 The 2020 Boreal 52 BRAVO completed an Atlantic crossing and two voyages to Alaska, utilizing a self-tacking jib, a fully battened Elvstrom mainsail, and a Selden retractable bowsprit.0:58 Propulsion is provided by a 75-horsepower Volvo D2 engine, a 15-kilowatt Northern Lights generator, and a retractable Max Power bow thruster.9:26 The electrical system includes lithium-ion batteries, 400 watts of solar, and a wind generator.3:15 Navigation and communication systems on BRAVO include NKE and B&G instruments, a Furuno chart plotter, Starlink, Iridium, and SSB radio.5:02 The interior features a deck saloon, a workshop with a mechanical vice, a Reflex heater, and an Eberspacher hydronic system.6:02 The boat incorporates twin autopilots and manual heads for redundancy.8:41 A Boreal 52 delivery from Annapolis to Belgium involved navigating heavy traffic in the English Channel.10:17

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

On the water

The Boreal 52 on video

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
29.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.5
Displacement / length
174.2
Comfort ratio
31.5
Capsize screening
1.85
Hull speed
9.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2472
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Aluminum
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2014
Designer
Jean-Francois Delvoye
Builder
Boreal

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.

Southerly Yachts 48014.98 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA Stephen Jones-designed 14.98-metre cruiser featuring a Solent rig and a centerline skeg to protect the propeller
Southerly 480 (MANUKA) - Yacht for Sale - Simply Stunning Throughout (1)from Berthon International
Southerly Yachts 47014.35 mSame hull family1.5 m shorterA 14.35-metre fractional sloop featuring a self-tacking jib and a swing keel for deep-water performance in shoal areas
[OFF MARKET] Southerly 47 (LUMINOUS) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International Yacht Brokers (2020)0:11from Berthon International
Bestevaer 56ST17.58 mSame hull family1.7 m longerA Dykstra-designed aluminum lifting-keel cruiser built for serious offshore exploration and shoal-water access
Should We Build a BIGGER Sailboat? Building an Aluminum Boat - Design Part 2 with KM Yachts | EP 206from Distant Shores TV
Garcia Yachts Exploration 4514.88 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA rugged aluminum cutter by Berret-Racoupeau featuring a centerboard and dual rudders for high-latitude exploration
We found OUR NEXT BOAT... but there is only one PROBLEM $$$ [Ep.93] The Bohemian Journey2:32from El Viaje de Bohemia
Alden Yachts 5416.48 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn extended-stern evolution of the 50-foot series, available in both center and aft cockpit layouts as well as cutter or ketch
The Most Unique Catamaran We’ve Ever Sailedfrom Gone with the Wynns
Feeling 5516.80 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA 16.8-metre fractional sloop featuring a 3.6m lifting keel and dual rudders for deep-water performance
Anchoring over the winter in Porto Heli (GR) with a visit to a spooky shipwreck #feeling5520:33from Sailing Suria

The family

Boats like this

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

Boreal 44A Jean-Francois Delvoye-designed cutter with a centerboard and spade rudder, built for high-latitude versatilityBoreal Yachts 47A 14.55-metre aluminium cutter with a 2.48-metre draft, optimised for high-latitude stability and blue-water performanceBoreal 47.2An extended-stern evolution of the 44.2, featuring twin wheels and dual daggerboards for improved cockpit space and controlBordeaux 60A versatile 18.6-metre cutter offering multiple keel configurations including a shallow draft and telescopic option

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The fleet has more to say

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