BoatsSanta Cruz 50

Santa Cruz 50

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1980

An IOR-optimised racer with a 50% ballast ratio, refined for competitive performance under the rule

Designed by Bill Lee.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Santa Cruz 50, on the water

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

Footage from Sven Yrvind

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 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 71
EasygoingPowered-up

26.5 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 26.5
TenderStiff

50% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 50%

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

  • Lighter than ~84% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~87% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1709 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Santa Cruz 50, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Santa CRUZ 50 is a 15.2-meter masthead sloop designed by Bill Lee and built by Santa Cruz Yachts, with production beginning in 1980. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 3.7-meter beam, a 2.4-meter draft, and displaces 7257 kg. A Santa CRUZ 50 MII variant was developed to rate more favorably under the IOR rule. Sven Yrvind, reviewing boat construction techniques, described using Divinycell foam and epoxy to reinforce structural sections and prevent condensation, and preparing 450-gram fiberglass layers for a rudder assembly.0:29

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
50.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
26.5
Displacement / length
71.4
Comfort ratio
19.0
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
9.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1990
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1980
Units built
28
Designer
Bill Lee
Builder
Santa Cruz 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 5015.47 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Farr-designed masthead sloop with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and a versatile layout marketed under multiple names
The SECRET Cruising Sailboat No One is Looking at Right Now! - Ep 323 - Lady K Sailing3:52from Lady K Sailing
Beneteau Oceanis 5015.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.1-metre fractional sloop with a 1.7-metre draft, built for high-volume cruising on a proven hull platform
We Sold EVERYTHING and Bought a SAILBOAT with NO EXPERIENCE! ⛵️ [Intro]4:02from Sailing Oceanaire | Wik & Rox
X Yachts X-5015.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.24-meter performance cruiser with a 3-meter draft and a 40% ballast ratio for balanced, high-speed handling
The Launch of X yacht 49 Electric – A Green Sailing Experience in Denmarkfrom SeaTV Sailing Channel
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 DS14.98 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser balancing a spacious 4.99-meter beam with a performance-oriented hull
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT + We Almost Bought a Dismasted Sailboat! EP 2015:30from Leading the Escapade
Jeanneau Yachts 5115.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop balancing a high comfort ratio with a performance-oriented sail plan
But who are we? The story that brought us to the Fiji Islands (Ep. 15 2025)24:27from Ale & Max - Y2K Sailing Adventure
Beneteau Oceanis 50015.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a wing keel, widely produced as the Moorings 500 and Prestige 500
The Wind Vane Snapped! Atlantic Crossing in 19 Days2:11from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

Santa Cruz 52A 1992 masthead sloop with a 2.74-metre draft and a displacement under 10,000 kilograms for high-speed performanceSanta Cruz 40A 1982 Bill Lee design featuring a 52% ballast ratio and a displacement-to-length profile built for rapid offshore speedSanta Cruz 70A custom-built 20-metre racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that allows for significant individual variationSanta Cruz 33A Bill Lee-designed masthead sloop built for speed, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a fin keel

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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