BoatsSoutherly Yachts 480

Southerly Yachts 480

Solent · Swing Keel w/dual Rudders · First built 2018

A Stephen Jones-designed 14.98-metre cruiser featuring a Solent rig and a centerline skeg to protect the propeller

Designed by Stephen Jones.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Swing Keel w/dual Rudders

See her sail

The Southerly Yachts 480, on the water

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

Footage from Distant Shores TV

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 1.00 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 37 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 37
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.74
LightHeavy

216 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 216
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 35%

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

  • Heavier than ~78% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 198 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Southerly Yachts 480, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Southerly Yachts 480 is a 15.0 m sailboat, built from 2018, featuring a Solent rig and a swing keel with dual rudders. Designed by Stephen Jones, it is based on the Discovery 48 hull, with a centerline skeg added to protect the propeller. The 480 displaces 17,256 kg and has a 4.5 m beam and a 3.1 m draft. The Southerly 480 is built by Southerly Yachts and Discovery Yachts.5:26 The Southerly 420 and Southerly 49 are other models in the Southerly range.5:26

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 Southerly Yachts 480 on video

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
35.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Solent
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
216.5
Comfort ratio
36.9
Capsize screening
1.74
Hull speed
8.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2238
Hull
Hull type
Swing keel w/dual rudders
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Cast Iron
Production
Years built
First built 2018
Designer
Stephen Jones
Builder
Southerly Yachts, Discovery 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.

Alden Yachts 5416.48 mSame hull family1.5 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
Garcia Yachts Exploration 4514.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Irwin Yachts 5416.46 mSame hull family1.5 m longerA 16.46-metre staysail ketch with a 39.9 comfort ratio, built since 1988 for stable, long-range cruising
WE WENT TO THE ANNAPOLIS BOAT SHOW - 2025! | EP845:20from Sailing Solé
Morgan Yachts Out Island 5115.70 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA heavy-displacement staysail ketch with a keel-centerboard configuration designed for comfortable long-range cruising
Sailboat Restoration Q&A Ask Me Anything. I've done it twice 😅24:43from Reversing Entropy
Bristol Yachts 45.513.79 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a 3.35-metre keel-centerboard draft, built for deep-water cruising performance
We FINALLY have our DREAM BOAT (PART 2) | [Ep. 010]0:32from Plan-Sea
Southerly 42012.86 mSame hull family2.1 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430
Building an Aluminum Sailboat Pt 6 - Your questions answered | EP 2241:29from Distant Shores TV

The family

Boats like this

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

Southerly Yachts 48/480A swing-keel evolution of the Discovery 48, this fractional sloop offers deep-water performance with shoal-draft versatilitySoutherly Yachts 580An Ed Dubois-designed swing-keel cruiser featuring a versatile Solent rig and dual rudders for shoal-water explorationSoutherly Yachts 470A 14.35-metre fractional sloop featuring a self-tacking jib and a swing keel for deep-water performance in shoal areasSoutherly 430A 12.86-metre evolution of the 420, pairing a deep 2.72-metre maximum draft with dual rudders for precise controlSoutherly 590A 17.74-metre flagship offering a 3.27-metre maximum draught and a high comfort ratio for extended blue water cruising

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Southerly Yachts 480, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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