Sabre 452 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 452 measures 45 feet 2 inches on deck with a 38-foot 4-inch waterline, a 14-foot 1-inch beam, and a standard-fin draft of 6 feet 9 inches; the optional bulb/wing keel draws 5 feet 6 inches. At a measured trim displacement of 26,500 pounds with 10,200 pounds of ballast, her D/L ratio sits at 210 and her SA/D at 18.77 — numbers that place her firmly in the go-fast cruiser camp rather than the heavy-displacement trad spectrum. The hull is balsa-cored, hand-laminated fiberglass, while the deck is a single balsa-core unit with plywood added in high-stress areas. Below the waterline the standard fin keel can be swapped for a bulb/wing configuration, and the spade rudder uses a carbon-fiber stock with a sacrificial lower 40 percent that lets the boat remain steerable even if most of the blade is lost. A keel-stepped mast is masked by a hinged closet that opens in seconds and quiets the cabin.

Rig and Handling

Sabre's bold decision to put a masthead rig with triple spreaders and a towering sail plan on this hull made the 452 a true sailor's boat. The mainsail alone is 525 square feet with a luff just under 60 feet on a boom over 19 feet long, and the foretriangle carries a 17-foot 7-inch J dimension. The builder asked Taylor to make the fastest 45-footer that would still clear the 65-foot bridges of the Intracoastal. All halyards and sail controls lead aft through Lewmar stoppers to Lewmar winches beside the companionway, while Lewmar 64 and 48 self-tailers handle jib and spinnaker trim. A test boat carried the optional inner forestay for storm sail or staysail duty. Under power the Yanmar 76 turned an effortless 7 knots at 2,600 rpm, and under full main and 110-percent jib in a 12-knot bay breeze she accelerated to an estimated 6 or 7 knots.

Accommodations

Step down the companionway into a saloon lined with beautifully finished cherry and lit by an ivory roof liner and seven windows, three opening for air. The U-shaped dinette to port converts to a double, while a starboard settee single makes a fine passagemaking berth. The port U-shaped galley holds an icebox refrigerator, deep double sinks, a three-burner stove with oven, and a microwave just aft, with a stainless guard and foot pumps. To starboard, the nav station has a hinged chart table and its own upholstered bench. Forward, a V-berth offers standing room and a seat; aft to starboard lies a smallish double with its own head, and the main head adds a separate shower and even a laundry hamper. Ten hatches and a slightly tall wooden toerail round out the livability.

Equipment and Cockpit

The enormous T-shaped cockpit carries a standard leather-padded 48-inch wheel (a test boat wore 52 inches) behind a rounded rear seat, with an Edson table fitted nicely. Forward, the foredeck pairs a Simpson Lawrence electric anchor winch with a deep locker and twin bow rollers. Harken winches and a Hallspar triple-spreader mast with Navtec rod rigging complete the hardware picture.

The Verdict

The Sabre 452 is a serious, go-fast cruising yacht that could cruise anywhere at a moment's notice, trading a little interior volume in the aft cabin for a powerful, well-led rig and a thoughtfully finished cherry interior. Her rudder and bridge-clearance design choices show a builder engineering for real offshore use.

Pros