Lagoon 51 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Lagoon infuses its balsa-cored composite hulls and decks for the 51, a method that keeps weight down while preserving panel stiffness, and the builder began incorporating bio-sourced resin for nonstructural small parts on this model while experimenting with natural fibers such as hemp and linen. Throughout the interior, Forest Stewardship Council-approved Alpi wood is used, and the test boat introduced a lighter "sand oak" tone than earlier Lagoons; upholstery is made from fully recycled materials. The Bimini top over the flybridge is injection-molded rather than fabric, and the aft platforms at the hull ends were extended beyond the hull sides, enlarging the bathing areas and helping dampen pitching when sailing over waves. One structural consequence of the cockpit layout is that the 51 lacks the Lagoon 55's open-to-water terrace, since the aft beam must rise above the cockpit sole. The forward cockpit arrangement avoids adding weight well forward and will not trap several tonnes of water if a crest breaks over the bows.

Rig and Handling

The 51 marks a deliberate return to a forward mast position at the front of the coachroof, a configuration that saves weight and complexity while allowing sufficient sail area from a shorter mast, lowering the center of effort and reducing aloft weight. The sail plan pairs a large roach or optional square-top main with a 120 percent overlapping headsail; the mainsail is cut for a bit more power, and the boat is rigged for a reaching sail on an aluminum sprit. A trade-off is that self-tacking headsails are no longer feasible. Keels were shifted forward to reduce interference and improve steering efficiency. All sail handling except hoisting and dropping reaching and downwind sails is done from the flybridge, where three Harken electric winches sit within arm's reach of the wheel and a side-wind winch serves the traveler; an overhead Bimini window gives the helmsman a clear view of the square-top main. The roller-furler boom was developed with Wichard and Incidence Sails. Testers found the 51 is not close-winded—best windward progress was a true wind angle just under 55 degrees yielding 5.5 knots in 7 to 8 knots of breeze—but bearing away to 70 to 75 degrees produced 6 to 6.5 knots, and deploying a Code 0 at 110 to 115 degrees lifted speed to 7 knots. In stronger 10 to 14 knot air, closehauled runs sat in the low 6s with nearly 7 on a broad reach and a noted top just over 7.5. Writing in Yachting World, test sailors found the flybridge helm's blind spot under the Code 0 reaches nearly 90 degrees when that sail is set.

Accommodations

The four-stateroom owner version places the entire starboard hull under private command: a queen berth aft beside one of three hull ports, a desk and seating outboard amidships with a view, a walk-in dressing room opposite, and a forward head with his-and-hers basins and a fully enclosed toilet and shower. Guest quarters fill the port hull with three double cabins and two heads with separate stalls; the mid cabin is smallest with limited stowage, while the forward cabin stores best but shares facilities. A charter-grade six-stateroom, four-head layout is also offered. Social volume is a strength, with three distinct outdoor areas: the aft cockpit with paired three-seat settees and a four-person transom bench, a forward cockpit for four or five with sunbeds and a coffee table over the windlass (though no direct saloon access), and the flybridge with forward helm bench, abaft U-seating around a cocktail table, and sun pads either side of the mast. The saloon is slightly raised with eye-level windows (blocked on both aft quarters), a convertible table seating eight to ten, a forward starboard nav desk, and an aft galley split around the sliding door—L-shaped counters with stove, oven, sink and dishwasher to port, fridge and freezer drawers to starboard, and high fiddles for rough-water security.

Equipment and Systems

A 12-volt electrical system anchors the boat's energy plan, supported by more than 3,400 watts of custom solar panels lining the flybridge and hard Bimini perimeter on production boats, with the prototype showing around 3 kW and full self-sufficiency except when air conditioning loads apply. Efficient cooling units and LED lighting trim demand, and a 12-volt watermaker producing 100 liters per hour—accessible under the port aft cabin floor—can run from solar despite a 40-amp draw. The swim platform between oversize transoms lowers for water access at anchor or raises to stow a tender underway; the test boat also carried an optional hydraulic lifting platform. Eco touches include UV water filters to cut single-use bottles and supplied green cleaning products. A washer/dryer can be fitted in the starboard hull and an extra 100-liter freezer in the port hull.

The Verdict

The Lagoon 51 is a thoughtfully evolved owner-oriented catamaran that trades the tight-winded self-tacking convenience of earlier rigs for a forward-positioned, power-oriented sail plan and a genuinely palatial private hull. Its construction leans into lighter, greener materials without abandoning infused composite discipline, and the social deck architecture is among the most usable in its size class. The windward limitation and Code 0 blind spot are real, but manageable with angle discipline and crew communication.

Pros

Largest Lagoon still intended for owner-operators
Forward rig with shorter mast lowers center of effort and adds upwind drive via overlapping headsail
Entire starboard hull dedicated to owner's suite with exceptional stowage and light
Three separate outdoor social areas plus raised saloon with convertible table
Strong solar and 12-volt watermaker support at-anchor self-sufficiency

Cons