Gulfstar 50 TM Sailboats for Sale

Hull Type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

50' · 15.24 m

Disp.

35,000 lbs · 15,876 kg

First year

1977

In the early 1970s, Gulfstar Yachts had a highly polarizing reputation. Founded by Vince Lazzara—a fiberglass pioneer who had previously cofounded Columbia Yachts—the St. Petersburg, Florida builder initially focused on producing inexpensive, highvolume motorsailers. These early designs were often derided by purists as uninspiring "floating bathtubs" that sacrificed sailing performance for sheer interior space. However, as the decade progressed, Lazzara executed a dramatic strategic pivot toward producing highquality, performanceoriented offshore cruisers. The pinnacle of this transformation was the Gulfstar 50, introduced in 1975, which instantly redefined the company’s legacy. Among the various iterations, the Gulfstar 50 TM (Tall Mast), launched in 1977, addressed one of the design's early criticisms—sluggish lightair performance—by stepping a taller mast to hoist an expanded sail plan. With 172 hulls produced during its sixyear run, the Gulfstar 50 remains one of the most successful 50foot production sailboats of its era.