Bristol 51.1
Description
The Bristol 51.1 (sometimes listed simply as Bristol 51 or Bristol 51) is a premium bluewater cruising sailboat from Bristol Yachts in Bristol, Rhode Island, built primarily in the late 1980s to early 1990s on a semi-custom basis (limited production, often tailored to owner specs). Designed by Dieter Empacher (from Ted Hood's design group, continuing the Hood-influenced "decimal series" philosophy), it's part of Bristol's second-generation lineup of heavy-displacement, centerboard-equipped cruisers—following models like the 47.7 and preceding larger semi-custom yachts like the 54.4/56.6. It emphasizes luxurious accommodations, robust construction, seaworthiness, and versatility for extended offshore or coastal cruising. Most were center cockpit (for privacy, separation of living areas, and reduced motion in seas), with a masthead sloop rig (some cutter options) and the signature keel/centerboard setup for shoal-draft access (e.g., Bahamas, ICW) while providing excellent upwind performance and stability when the board is down. Construction is heavy-duty: solid fiberglass hull, balsa-cored deck, encapsulated lead ballast, skeg-hung rudder, and high-quality teak interior with classic New England styling.
Construction Details
| Designer | Dieter Empacher |
|---|---|
| Builder | Bristol Yachts |
| Length | 51.000 ft |
| LOA | 51.080 ft |
| LWL | 42.000 ft |
| Beam | 15.170 ft |
| Displacement | 43700 lb |
| Ballast | 19000 lb |
| Max Draft | 10.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 5.330 ft |
| Year Built | 1981 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 64 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 21.50 ft |
| p | 56 ft |
| e | 19 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 ft | 21.50 ft | 56 ft | 19 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Bristol 51.1 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 56 ft - (17069 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | * 58.1 ft - (17709 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 58.5 ft - (17831 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 540.41 ft² |
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Bristol 51.1 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 54.01 ft - (16462 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 28.71 ft - (8751 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.52 ft - (14179 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.98 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 24.72 ft - (7535 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 667.56 ft² |
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Bristol 51.1 - GENOA
| Luff | 64.14 ft - (19550 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 34.92 ft - (10644 mm) |
| Leech | * 60.13 ft - (18328 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 32.25 ft - (9830 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 1034.28 ft² |
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Bristol 51.1 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 64.14 ft - (19550 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 35.48 ft - (10814 mm) |
| Leech | * 59.01 ft - (17986 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1707 ft² |
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Bristol 51.1 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 37.13 ft - (11317 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.28 ft - (4962 mm) |
| Leech | * 30.1 ft - (9174 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 12.9 ft - (3932 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.03 ° |
| Area | * 239.45 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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