Gulfstar 50 Sloop
Description
The Gulfstar 50 Sloop is a classic American bluewater cruiser designed by Vince Lazzara, founder of Gulfstar Yachts, and introduced in the mid‑1970s. Lazzara—who also founded Columbia Yachts—developed the Gulfstar 50 as the company’s flagship performance cruiser, combining lavish accommodations with capable offshore handling. While it was offered in both sloop and ketch configurations, the sloop‑rigged version is well regarded for its simpler sail plan, better upwind performance, and elegant proportions. Built of hand‑laid fiberglass in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulfstar 50 blended solid construction with a luxury interior—one of the reasons it became a favorite for liveaboard couples and passage makers. The hull features a long fin keel with skeg‑hung rudder, moderate displacement, and powerful rig, all of which contribute to a comfortable motion and dependable tracking under sail. Production continued from roughly 1975 through 1980, with about 250 boats built (including both rig types).
Construction Details
| Designer | V.S. Lazzara |
|---|---|
| Builder | Gulfstar Yachts |
| Length | 50.000 ft |
| LOA | 50.000 ft |
| LWL | 42.000 ft |
| Beam | 13.667 ft |
| Displacement | 32500 lb |
| Ballast | 9600 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.600 ft |
| Year Built | 1975 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50.90 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 19.10 ft |
| p | 43.08 ft |
| e | 19 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.90 ft | 19.10 ft | 43.08 ft | 19 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Gulfstar 50 Sloop - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.08 ft - (13131 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.18 ft - (14076 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 46.47 ft - (14164 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 418.44 ft² |
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Gulfstar 50 Sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 43.49 ft - (13256 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 26.06 ft - (7943 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.74 ft - (11198 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.96 ft - (6693 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 477.49 ft² |
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Gulfstar 50 Sloop - GENOA
| Luff | * 51.65 ft - (15743 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.04 ft - (14643 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.65 ft - (8733 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 739.93 ft² |
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Gulfstar 50 Sloop - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 51.65 ft - (15743 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 31.52 ft - (9607 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.52 ft - (14484 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1221 ft² |
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Gulfstar 50 Sloop - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 29.9 ft - (9114 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.87 ft - (4532 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.42 ft - (7138 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 11.46 ft - (3493 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.02 ° |
| Area | * 171.33 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.