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 draughtDraws 1.07 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 30 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 30
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.73
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 156
EasygoingPowered-up

14.0 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.0
TenderStiff

24% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 24%

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.

What the fleet has seen

The Gulfstar Yachts 43, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Gulfstar Yachts 43 is a Masthead Sloop sailboat model designed by Vince Lazarra, Vince, and Richard C. Lazarra, built by Gulfstar Yachts from 1976 to 1978. It measures 13.2 meters LOA, with a 3.6-meter beam, 1.1-meter draft, and displaces 9525 kg. The model has a long keel hull and a comfort ratio of 29.6. A ketch rig variant was also produced, featuring a total sail area of 63.72 square meters.

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 3811.58 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterA 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability
What Happened to Island Packet Yachts?from All About Sailing
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
$200,000 SAILBOAT SHOWDOWN - Ep 210 - Lady K Sailing6:35from Lady K Sailing
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
Sailing Solo to Hen Rock, Catalina Island (September 2023)15:53from keeldragger
Allied Boat Co. Mistress 3912.09 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA heavy-displacement Arthur Edmunds ketch available in both aft and centre cockpit configurations for stable cruising
Allied Boat Company: The Fiberglass Sailboat That Changed Everythingfrom Lady K Sailing
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
Sailing S/V Coralia - Winter Passage to Cape Hatterasfrom Hold Fast!
Whitby Boatworks 4212.80 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterAn Edward S. Brewer-designed long-keeled ketch built for offshore comfort and stability over a long production run
Discover the Legendary Whitby 42 Sailboat – Full Tour & Review0:50from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

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 by V.S. Lazzara for comfortable, stable long-range cruisingGulfstar 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

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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