BoatsStadtship 56

Stadtship 56

Fractional Sloop · Lifting Keel · First built 2005

A high-performance aluminium fractional sloop featuring a lifting keel for versatile access to deep and shallow waters

Designed by Van de Stadt Design & E. G. Van de Stadt, built by Km Yachtbuilders.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Lifting Keel

See her sail

The Stadtship 56, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Triteia

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 0.80 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 33 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 33
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 150
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 21.6
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 35%

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

  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 141 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Stadtship 56, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Stadtship 56 is a fractional sloop designed by Van de Stadt Design and built by KM Yachtbuilders since 2005. This 17.1-meter sailboat features a lifting keel, allowing it to dry out in tidal areas, and three rudders, two of which also lift. It displaces 22,000 kg and has a beam of 5.0 meters and a draft of 3.1 meters. The design includes two water ballast tanks, each holding 2,050 kg, and can be fitted with a 100 hp Steyr engine.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels 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
34.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.6
Displacement / length
149.7
Comfort ratio
33.3
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
9.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
3108
Hull
Hull type
Lifting Keel
Construction
Aluminum
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2005
Designer
Van de Stadt Design, E. G. Van de Stadt
Builder
KM Yachtbuilders

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.

Feeling 5516.80 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 16.8-metre fractional sloop featuring a 3.6m lifting keel and dual rudders for deep-water performance
Anchoring over the winter in Porto Heli (GR) with a visit to a spooky shipwreck #feeling5520:33from Sailing Suria
Southerly 57 RS17.72 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 17.72-metre flagship featuring a Solent rig and a lifting keel that allows for deep-water performance and shoal access
Episode #76 Annapolis Sailboat Show!0:02from Sailing Nervous- Starting Over!
Boreal 5215.86 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA 15.86-metre aluminium cutter with a 3.13-metre draft, engineered for high-latitude exploration and blue-water speed
[OFF MARKET] Boréal 52 “BRAVO” Yacht for Sale | Capable and Handsome | Tour with Sue Grantfrom Berthon International
Irwin Yachts 5416.46 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA 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 family1.4 m shorterA 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
Trintella 5316.43 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Van de Stadt-designed masthead ketch with a keel-centerboard hull, built for offshore versatility and comfort
Boat Hunting! Looking At A Yacht Designers Own Boat - Ep. 180:1 RAN Sailing8:32from RAN Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Bestevaer 56STA Dykstra-designed aluminum lifting-keel cruiser built for serious offshore exploration and shoal-water accessBestevaer 45ST PureA Dykstra-designed aluminum expedition cruiser featuring a lifting keel and dual rudders for versatile shoal-water accessBestevaer 55STA 16.9-metre cutter designed for offshore passage-making with a stable 40.19 comfort ratio

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The fleet has more to say

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