Leopard 50 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hulls begin as vacuum-bagged, isophthalic resin-infused E-glass with an end-grain balsa core, a construction approach aimed squarely at the bareboat charter market. Stiffness without weight gain comes from ring frames of carbon fiber used in place of solid wood or composite bulkheads, and the builder notes carbon-infused ring frames in the most critical areas; the technique was pioneered on larger all carbon racing catamarans and is now applied in this cruising design. The twin keels are filled with closed-cell poly foam to prevent water ingress. Above the waterline, the side decks are wide and protected by double lifelines, and the flush hatches sit with deep gutters for runoff.

Rig and Handling

The 50P carries a raised helm station under a solid Bimini, while the 50L adds a flybridge with the boom raised a bit to give passengers ample headroom underneath while under sail. All sail control lines lead to three beefy winches close at hand to the wheel, and the deck between helm and mast carries a trio of electric winches with Spinlock stoppers, letting the skipper handle nearly everything singlehanded; tails of halyards and sheets drop into a canvas bin. The reviewed boat flew a square-topped main from Ullman Sails with an overlapping genoa, and a short bowsprit allowed a Code 0 and asymmetric spinnaker for reaching. Steering proved as light and sensitive as a round-the-buoys racer. Writing in SAIL Magazine, test sailors found she was not happy jammed up to 45 degrees apparent, dropping to 7 knots, but cracked off to around 60 degrees she showed steady 9s and occasional 10s; on a beam reach in 15 knots one Cruising World tester logged a steady 9 knots and a 10.4-knot puff. A delivery captain reported in SAIL Magazine 17 knots on autopilot for days during an ocean crossing.

Accommodations

Inside, the pale whitewashed-oak veneer and walls of glass with an overhead skylight spanning nearly the saloon length make the interior contemporary and open. Cabins gain widened bulkhead openings through exotic materials and modern construction, and the aft end of the saloon opens wide with sliding doors. The forward cockpit, reached through a watertight door first introduced on the Leopard 44 in 2012, remains a signature retreat. The standard four-cabin arrangement places a master suite aft to starboard with a dressing area and ensuite, a VIP forward in that hull with the same berth size, and two more cabins with private heads in the port hull; a fifth or sixth cabin can be configured forward in the port bow or as a midships berth. The galley spans much of the starboard bridgedeck with a Miele cooktop over a Force 10 oven, Vitrifrigo drawers, and an L-shaped counter looking onto the forward cockpit. The 50L flybridge adds a three-sided settee, fiberglass table with breeze-proof compartments, and an oversized sunpad by the helm, reached by floating stairs from the aft cockpit or from the starboard side deck.

Power and Systems

Standard propulsion is a pair of Yanmar 57hp diesel saildrives, with optional 80hp Yanmars that pushed the test boat to nearly 9 knots at 2,500 rpm. Engine access is through twin cockpit hatches without lifting a berth. A Northern Lights 9kW genset sits in an accessible forward deck locker. A hydraulic transom platform carries up to a 10ft tender and becomes a beach when lowered. Fuel capacity is 243 gallons against 185 of water.

Known Issues

Visibility from the helm is good forward and to starboard but iffy to port, a point worth weighing when docking or maneuvering to that side.

The Verdict

The Leopard 50 is a thoroughly modern cruising cat that trades the incremental upgrade path for a clean-sheet platform, using carbon ring-frame structure to open the interior and keep weight in check. She sails with genuine turn of speed off the wind, manages easily short-handed from the helm, and offers a remarkably flexible cabin plan. The port-side blind spot at the wheel is the one recurring caution.

Pros