ST. FRANCIS 50 • Another South African built boat from a builder that has earned a worldwide reputation for blue-water catamarans, the St. Francis 50 was created by noted yacht designer Angelo Lavranos to be a pure cruising passagemaker and a luxury home afloat.
The 50’s hulls are long and St Francis 50 lean, yet have enough volume to carry all the weight that a cruising family will add for living aboard. The bridgedeck sits 32 inches off the water, which is high enough to reduce wave slapping when sailing to windward.
The fractional rig flies a large high-roach mainsail and a combination of headsails on three headstays, so you can configure the sail plan to meet the wind and wave conditions you find out there. With roller furling on the genoa and staysail, the rig can be powered up or down from the cockpit. The mainsheet runs to a track mounted on the cockpit arch aft so it is out of the way but readily accessible.
The cockpit is large and comfortable with plenty of seating and easy access to the stern steps. A rigid Bimini runs from the arch to the cabintop.
The living spaces aboard the 50 are large and comfortable. The boats are built on a semi-custom basis so owners can choose between either a galley up (in the saloon) or a galley down (in the port hull) configuration. With the galley up, the port side of the saloon becomes the cooking area next to the large dinette; in the galley down arrangement the port side of the saloon becomes the nav station from which you can run the boat in bad weather.
Four sleeping cabins, each with its own head, provide ample room for a large family or a cruising crowd of four couples.
A large and ocean capable cruising boat, the St. Francis 50 offers innovation, quality and customization. The company also owns a resort in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas where North Americans can test the boat. For more information contact St. Francis Marine’s U.S. agent, Aeroyacht, at 800-446-0010.