BoatsSaga Yachts 43

Saga Yachts 43

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 1996

A 1996 performance cruiser with a high 19.2 SA/displacement ratio and a spade rudder for responsive handling

Designed by Robert H. Perry.

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

See her sail

The Saga Yachts 43, on the water

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

Footage from 59° North 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 light displacement on a narrow beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.78
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 150
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 19.2
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The Saga 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 Saga Yachts 43 is a Robert H. Perry-designed masthead sloop built by Saga Yachts and Saga Marine from 1996 to the present.6:26 It features a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder, measuring 13.2 meters LOA, 3.7 meters beam, 1.9 meters draft, and displacing 9000 kg.17:57 Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing rates the Saga 43 as his top all-around offshore cruising boat recommendation.4:04 Its design brief, shared with its successor the Saga Marine 48, required compatibility with the Intracoastal Waterway, necessitating a 65-foot air draft limit and a six-foot draft limit, which a shoal draft version of the 43 also offers at 5.25 feet.8:21

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Saga Yachts 43 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
39.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.2
Displacement / length
150.3
Comfort ratio
27.9
Capsize screening
1.78
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1669
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
FG balsa core hull & deck
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1996
Units built
55
Designer
Robert H. Perry
Builder
Saga 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.

Beneteau 42313.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, offered with both shallow and deep draft options
Don McIntyre & Jane - "2000 miles under Bimini" - Papeete to FIJI! on a 2003 Beneteau Oceanis 42320:23from Golden Globe Race Official
Beneteau 4313.11 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Berret-Racoupeau fractional sloop designed for comfortable cruising with a shallow draft and balanced performance
CONVERTING a 43´Beneteau INTO a 46´BENETEAU Oceanis SAILBOAT | Sailing Zephyr - Ep.176from Sailing Zephyr
Grand Soleil 4413.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA deep-draft fractional sloop with a 2.65-meter keel, engineered for stability and speed in a 13-meter hull
Discover the Grand Soleil 44 Performance Yacht in Detailfrom 45 Degrees Sailing
Hunter Marine 42013.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 42-foot cruiser with a performance-oriented fin keel and spade rudder, built for efficient coastal and offshore travel
PAINT MATCH FAIL - Painting a New Boot Stripe, Painting Yanmar Diesel Engine & Splash Delay - Ep 520:12from Sailing Jibsea
Ct-44 (Pilot House)13.16 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Tanton-designed pilot house cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
How We Learned to Live on a Sailboat FULL TIME | (EP.030)12:11from Plan-Sea
Landmark 4313.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Mark Mills-designed fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for competitive performance
The Night Before the Night at KNS: Hot boats and the meaning of life3:33from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Saga Marine 48A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop built for performance cruising with a stiff 33% ballast ratioSaga Marine 35A Robert H. Perry-designed masthead sloop built for performance and comfort with a balanced fin-and-bulb hullSaga Yachts 409A Tony Castro-designed masthead sloop balancing cruising comfort with a moderate displacement for offshore capabilityPearson Yachts 43A masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a tall rig option introduced in 1971 for added performanceMalo Yachts 43A 13.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a 38% ballast ratio and a skeg-mounted rudder for predictable offshore handlingSabre Yachts 42A short-run production cruiser from the late eighties, featuring a 41% ballast ratio for stability in a 12.7-metre hull

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Saga Yachts 43, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Saga Yachts 43

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue