Design and Construction
Bavaria built the C50 using vacuum-infused laminates among other features, and the manufacturer states the resulting hull is more stable but also lighter. The coachroof carries smooth areas in its styling, while the topsides are high — a trait Yachting Monthly notes makes boarding more awkward than on lower-freeboard designs. The keel is a bulb type with a standard draught of 2.30 metres and a shoaler 1.85-metre option, carrying iron ballast of roughly 4.2 tonnes that gives a ballast ratio near 29 percent. Her CE classification is A12 / B16 / C18, and the RCD category is A. The C50 is a single-rudder yacht: twin blades gave way to a single spade on this generation, a deliberate departure from the multi-rudder trend seen on some contemporaries.
Rig and Handling
The C50 carries a fractional sloop rig that the builder calls a performance rig, crediting it with making the yacht fast and safe in any weather. A self-tacking jib is fitted, which the manufacturer says makes turning easy, and the standard sail plan totals about 131 square metres with a 75-square-metre mainsail; a furling main of 61.5 square metres is offered as an alternative. The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is high but balanced, which the builder credits with promising outstanding sailing performance coupled with straightforward, safe handling. A VPP sail-performance figure is quoted at 12 knots true wind using a 103 percent jib and gennaker on the deep keel. Both helm stations give a clear view of sails and route ahead, and the instruments are extremely easy to operate. Writing in Yachting Monthly, reviewers position her as conceived for coastal cruising and Mediterranean island-hopping, not as a blue-water cruiser.
Accommodations
The C50 is offered with a choice of interior layouts, documented as three or five cabins with three or four heads. A notable structural change from earlier Bavaria practice is the aft, non-linear galley, which the review notes has moved aft rather than running along the saloon side. New models in the line also incorporate a dinghy garage in the stern, preserving aft volume without external davits. The wide beam supports the open, contemporary interior volume that defines the C-Line's market position against comparable 50-foot cruisers.
Equipment and Systems
Beyond the helm visibility already noted, the C50's electronics centre on B&G's Naviop system, which lets any screen on board call up navigation data. The screens double as switch panels, so tank levels can be checked and navigation lights switched from the helm. Monitoring from a phone is already possible, with the next stage being control of systems from a phone or tablet. One practical cockpit caveat from the review is the absence of small stowage spaces in the cockpit itself.
The Verdict
The Bavaria C50 is a thoroughly modern volume cruiser from the Cossutti era at Bavaria: light yet stable in the hull, quick under a balanced performance rig, and laid out for warm-water coastal and island use rather than offshore passage-making. The single rudder, aft galley, and stern dinghy garage mark a clear break from the previous generation's habits, and the integrated navigation and switching system is genuinely advanced for the class. She is not, by the reviewer's own framing, a blue-water boat.
Pros
- Light, stable vacuum-infused hull with bulb keel and shoal option
- Performance rig with self-tacking jib and high-but-balanced sail plan
- Integrated B&G Naviop with helm-switching and phone monitoring
- Flexible three- or five-cabin layouts with aft galley and stern dinghy garage
Cons
- High topsides complicate boarding from low docks
- No small stowage in the cockpit
- Conceived for Med cruising, not blue-water voyaging
