BoatsLafitte Yachts 44

Lafitte Yachts 44

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1978–1989

A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for high-quality offshore cruising

Designed by Robert H. Perry.

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

See her sail

The Lafitte Yachts 44, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 39 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 39
CoastalBluewater

At 1.67 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.67
LightHeavy

279 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 279
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 40%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2399 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Lafitte Yachts 44, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Lafitte Yachts 44 is a 13.5-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Robert H. Perry and built by Chung Hwa Boatworks in Taiwan from 1978 to 1989.1:09 It features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a beam of 3.9 meters, a draft of 1.9 meters, and displaces 12,700 kg.1:54 Mike Lewis of Pacific Far East Industries commissioned the design, and George Olivet supervised all construction, ensuring consistent build quality despite changes in parent company ownership. A Lafitte 44 named *Oceanbound* disappeared in April 2023 during a passage from Mazatlan, Mexico, to San Diego, California, after encountering severe weather with 30-knot winds and 20-foot swells.4:53 The vessel lacked satellite communication or an EPIRB, hindering search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, Mexican Navy, and HMCS *Edmonton*.6:06

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
40.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.8
Displacement / length
279.4
Comfort ratio
38.5
Capsize screening
1.67
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1607
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1978–1989
Units built
56
Designer
Robert H. Perry
Builder
Lafitte Yachts, Chung Hwa Boatworks (TAIWAN)

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.

Swan 44 (S&S)13.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens design also sold as the PJ-44, this masthead sloop features a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff hull
Swann 44 MKII - The Performance Family Cruising Sailboatfrom Practical Sailor
Gulfstar Yachts 4413.62 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop designed by Richard C. Lazzara, featuring a fin keel with a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
Is the Gulfstar 44 a STEAL of a DEAL?from Practical Sailor
Hallberg-Rassy 43 MKI13.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead-rigged blue water cruiser featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull
Which Voltage on a Medium Size Cruising Yacht? | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER0:07from BoatHowTo
Formosa Yachts 4613.72 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA lengthened 13.72-metre cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, derived from the Peterson 44 hull lines
Sailing to Two Harbors and Hen Rock - Dana 24 - August 20192:33from keeldragger
Outbound Yachts 44/4613.64 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Carl Schumacher-designed masthead sloop built for offshore performance with a stiff, comfortable motion
48V or 24V - What makes more sense on a Boat? | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER1:25from BoatHowTo
Hunter Marine 450 Passage13.49 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 45-foot cruiser with a bulb-fin keel and spade rudder, engineered for stable, comfortable offshore passage-making
OFFSHORE SAILING & ISLAND HOPPING the MEDITERRANEAN - Ep 153from Sailing Jibsea

The family

Boats like this

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

Cheoy Lee 44A versatile cutter available in aft or midship cockpit configurations, offering a balanced fin-keel hull for offshore workLiberty 458An extended iteration of the Peterson 44 hull featuring a unique deck and coach roof configuration on a cutter rigTA Yang Yacht Building Co. Ltd. Ct-37A Robert Perry-designed long-keel cutter built for heavy-displacement comfort and offshore stabilityTA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-48A Robert Perry-designed staysail ketch built for offshore comfort with a heavy displacement and skeg-mounted rudderCheoy Lee 48A Robert Perry-designed cutter with a skeg-mounted rudder, built for blue-water stability and comfortable passage making

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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