Design and Construction
What distinguishes the Baltic 50 visually is a profile that reads racy yet carries more cabintrunk than the typical racing boat, giving the deckhouse a presence absent from stripped-out competitors anchor. The hull itself follows an IMS-friendly shape, and the keel and rudder are deep, high-aspect-ratio blades suited to sustained reaching and tight windward angles. At 50 feet overall with a 43-foot-7-inch waterline, a beam quoted as 14" in the source record, and a 9.9-foot draft, the yacht sits on the longer, lighter end of the spectrum: displacement is 21,069 pounds against 9,000 pounds of ballast, yielding a displacement-to-length ratio of 113 that marks her as a long and light vessel. The cockpit is generous and opens directly to the transom, while bun-cheek chamfers in the coaming let the helmsman sit comfortably when the boat is heeled.
Rig and Handling
The sail plan is built for drive. With a sail area of 1,316 square feet and a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 27.6, the Baltic 50 carries a powerful rig for her weight, and the mainsail roach overlaps the backstay, a detail that enlarges the working area aloft without a conventionally obstructed hoist anchor. The deep blade keel and matching rudder give her the directional bite and low drag associated with high-aspect foils, and the low D/L of 113 keeps her moving in modest breeze. A 51-horsepower Yanmar diesel provides auxiliary propulsion, with 34.32 gallons of fuel and 66 gallons of water carried.
Accommodations
Three interior layouts were offered, spanning the cruising-to-racing spectrum. Layout No. 1 is the cruisiest, arranged with a forward shower and a wrap-around dinette that favors liveaboard ease anchor. At the other extreme, Layout No. 3 is the raciest, using straight settee-berths and a starboard quarter cabin converted to a pipe berth crew area for shorthanded or race-crew use. The middle option sits between these poles, and the extra cabintrunk noted in the profile supplies the volume that makes the cruising layouts plausible rather than cramped.
The Verdict
The Baltic 50 Custom is a thoughtful execution of the dual-purpose brief: a light, long hull with a high-aspect foil package and a powerful rig, wrapped in an interior program flexible enough to serve both a cruising couple and a race crew. The Tripp office hull and R&J Design interior give her a coherent identity rather than a compromised mash-up.
Pros
- IMS-friendly shape with D/L of 113 and SA/D of 27.6 for light, fast performance
- Deep high-aspect keel and rudder for race-bred handling
- Three layouts from cruisy wrap-around dinette to pipe-berth race layout
- Cockpit opens to transom with chamfered coamings for heeled helmsman comfort
Cons
- 9.9-foot draft limits shallow anchorage access
- 66-gallon water capacity is modest for extended cruising
