Hylas 60 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is infused in vinylester with a Divinycell core at Queen Long Marine in Taiwan, then build-out is completed there after the cored hull, deck, and bulkheads return from Atech Composites, where SCRIMP infusion was performed infused in vinylester with a Divinycell core. The builder states the infusion result is a hull that is 8 percent lighter and 40 percent stronger than a conventional lay-up. A watertight crash bulkhead sits forward of the VIP cabin, and additional watertight bulkheads are distributed for safety. Systems and tankage are grouped beneath the raised cabin sole to keep the center of gravity low, a theme repeated in the raised saloon sole that houses tankage below. The deck is solid fiberglass, the hull solid fiberglass with the cored structure noted above, and the keel is a bulb type available in shoal (6 feet 6 inches) or standard (8 feet 10 inches) draft, with 22,562 pounds of lead ballast in the standard configuration. Freeboard is a somewhat tall 6 feet, yet the profile stays low thanks to a cabinhouse dropped close to the deckline and a flush foredeck.

Rig and Handling

Frers gave the 60 a triple-spreader fractional rig carrying just over 1,800 square feet of sail, with an aluminum standard stick and a carbon option. A composite fixed sprit handles the anchor roller and an A-sail, and a self-tacking staysail is offered. Twin rudders hold the boat firmly at aggressive heel angles. On hull #1, sail control centered on a single elevated winch for the end-boom mainsheet on centerline, plus a pair forward of the helms for headsail sheets; the production review describes a massive Antal electric winch between the wheels and four smaller electric winches for sheets and cutter-style rigging, with Seldén hydraulic in-mast furling and electric headsail furlers. Jefa steering proved smooth and responsive in close quarters. Under a North Sails NPL laminated suite with in-mast furling main and 105-percent jib, the test boat sailed 6.1 knots on a beam reach in 11 knots, 6.5 knots in a 13-knot puff at 60 degrees apparent, and ghosted 3.7 knots broad reaching at 120 degrees. The Volvo Penta D3 150-horsepower diesel pushed her to 8.1 knots wide-open at 2,900 rpm and 7.4 knots at a 2,200 rpm cruise on flat water.

Accommodations

The standard layout places the master cabin aft, a VIP island-queen cabin in the bow just aft of the crash bulkhead, and an over/under cabin to port that can become an office. A four-cabin version splits the aft stateroom into two twin-berth rooms. The in-line galley runs the starboard passageway to the aft cabin, a long-held Hylas trait, with Meganite counters that resist staining. The saloon is vast and deep, reached by no fewer than six steps down, with an L-shaped settee and centerline stools to port and a second couch to starboard. Storage is everywhere—lockers outboard and above settees and around both main berths. A substantial nav station to port handles electronics and paper charts, and walk-in engine access lies farther aft. Hull #1 showed light wood and leather; the catalog also offers a darker teak finish and the Hot Lab white-ash, white-leather, wenge-accent scheme.

Cockpit and Deck Gear

A low cabinhouse and almost plumb bow with sculpted sprit meet a slightly reversed drop-down transom hiding a dinghy garage sized for a 9-foot Highfield tender. The flush hatches and continuous toerail-bulwark outboard of broad side decks add security going forward, and the tester praised the high lifelines. Helm pods are sleek, superyacht-like, with waist-level engine controls and interior grabrails. A long open walk-through cockpit is shown in renderings, while the tested bridge-deck configuration had a recessed forward lounge with drop-leaf table and settees.

Known Issues

The only sailing gripe from the review trials was a Bimini that blocked the helmsman's view of the mainsail; the awning rolls back to restore sightlines.

The Verdict

The Hylas 60 is a confident reinvention of the brand's aesthetic and engineering, trading traditional Hylas cues for a light-cored, low-profile hull with serious offshore safety bulkheads and a flexible modern interior. It sails efficiently in modest breeze and motors at a useful clip, though the tall freeboard and Bimini sightline are minor trade-offs.

Pros