Design and Construction
Frers’ influence is clear in the hull’s proportions. A 61.6-foot waterline beneath a 69.6-foot overall length gives the Hylas 70 a long, lean hull. Her ballast-to-displacement ratio is just under 39 percent, while her comfort ratio is in the upper thirties. Those figures place her firmly among heavily built offshore cruisers rather than lightweight performance boats.
The centerboard keel is the defining feature. She draws just over eight feet with the board raised and 11 feet 10 inches with it lowered. That range allows her to tuck into shallow anchorages while providing greater draft to stand up to her sail plan offshore.
Hylas’ construction practice for this class combined solid, hand-laid fiberglass with layers of aramid fiber in vinylester resin. The hull-to-deck joint used an inward flange that was chemically bonded and through-bolted, then glassed over.
Rig and Deck Handling
The 70 has twin steering stations aft of the seating cockpit and a step higher. This arrangement gives the helms clear visibility across an expansive aft deck—one described as roomy enough to hold a playpen.
The masthead-sloop rig carries 2,400 square feet of sail. On a 75,000-pound hull, that produces a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 21.5, a moderate figure for a boat of this size and consistent with her cruising purpose.
The mainsail furls into a Leisure Furl boom, with a hydraulic motor driving the mandrel. All deck gear—including the winches, windlasses, and furlers—operates hydraulically, supported by two central hydraulic pumps. One limitation is that the winches can’t be operated remotely.
Accommodations
Below, the command post serves as both a navigation desk and workspace, a useful arrangement on a yacht intended for long passages and serious route planning.
The cabin sole is finished in pale bamboo, whose light tone offsets the scale of a 70-foot hull with an 18-foot beam. As with the expansive aft deck, the interior is sized for liveaboard comfort rather than minimalist racing.
Verdict
The Hylas 70 is a thoughtfully engineered big-boat cruiser. Frers’ hull lines, a lifting centerboard, and a heavily hydraulic deck plan suit her offshore brief while reducing the crew’s physical workload. The trade-offs are greater systems complexity and the inability to operate the winches remotely. Her construction and accommodations likewise reflect her role as a serious bluewater vessel.
Pros
- Centerboard draft ranging from just over 8 feet to 11 feet 10 inches for shoal and offshore use
- Twin raised steering stations with clear sightlines and a vast aft deck
- Fully hydraulic deck gear supported by two central pumps
- Frers design with strong ballast and comfort ratios for bluewater cruising
Cons
- Winches can’t be operated remotely
- Reliance on hydraulics adds systems complexity compared with manual backups
