The design targets easy handling for day sailing and occasional overnight trips with family and friends in the Stockholm archipelago. Yet it remains fully capable of contesting the Gotland Round Race.
Design and Hull Form
The Shogun 50’s hull is slender rather than beamy. Its length-to-beam ratio is 3.92, while its displacement-to-length figure is near 75, resulting in a narrow, easily driven shape. Maximum beam is carried right aft to produce that easily driven hull for confined waters, while broad forward sections suggest more form stability than the slim profile might imply.
The reversed bow, sharp forefoot, and staggered spray knockers depart from conventional cruiser styling. The bow is intended to form a visual extension of the sheerline, while the vertical transom, with no camber, preserves maximum deck space and sailing length. A low, svelte cabintrunk completes a deck design that one reviewer called beautiful.
Keel, Rudders, and Construction
At the push of a button, the hydraulic lifting keel changes draft from 6 feet 7 inches raised to 11 feet 6 inches down. It carries a 3.5-tonne bulb for a hefty 45 percent ballast ratio. The carbon-fiber keel fin is pinned into position when raised. It was built by Marstrom Composites, which also built the spars.
The twin rudders are deeper and larger than usual because the rig’s center of effort sits farther aft. Their forgiving profile is intended to maintain laminar flow while producing substantial lift.
Construction is carbon fiber and vacuum epoxy over a sandwich core. Joinerwork uses carbon-fiber-cored panels with solid-wood detailing, including wood veneer over the sandwich. The build pursues lightness relentlessly. A thin 3.5 mm teak deck dressing the topsides rounds out the construction.
Rig and Sail Plan
The fractional sloop rig is mounted well aft, with the mast stepped behind the keel. This arrangement makes room for a self-tacking jib of decent size and a square-top mainsail. The main sheets to a traveler well aft of the twin wheels, helping maximize total sail area for a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 27.2.
Four adjustable jib tack points—three on the foredeck and one on the sprit—allow the crew to trim for different conditions. A 110 percent headsail is available for light airs, while a self-tacking J3 sets from a removable inner forestay as the wind builds. This small planned inventory is intended to keep the boat manageable for a short crew across a wide range of conditions.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The deck plan includes a large, comfortable cockpit. Its bench seats are roomy enough to nap on without taking away the working crew’s space, while benches farther forward support the boat’s dual-purpose concept.
Below, the Shogun 50 trades volume for speed. The main cabin is small for a 50-foot cruiser, and the companionway steps look steep, though the finishing details are spectacular.
The galley sits forward of the mast in both layouts. It is small, with no counter space on either side of the range and sinks. A U-shaped dinette anchors the saloon, and one head lies to port of the keeltrunk. Based on the drawings, the mirror-image quarter cabins aft each appear to contain a double berth.
Layouts are client-driven. In the first hull, a large working area beside the companionway provided space for packing spinnakers, along with a settee and navigation station. The heads and galley flanked the keel case farther forward, and the saloon could be converted into a master cabin.
The Verdict
The Shogun 50 is a purpose-built, light-displacement racer-cruiser that puts racing DNA into a narrow, lifting-keel hull suited to both shallow archipelago waters and offshore circuits. Its carbon-sandwich construction and aft-weighted rig deliver pace and short-handed control, but the interior is unapologetically compact for its length, and the galley is limited.
Pros
- Hydraulic lifting keel with a 3.5-tonne bulb, 45 percent ballast ratio, and draft range of 6 feet 7 inches to 11 feet 6 inches
- Aft-mounted rig, self-tacking jib, and square-top mainsail support performance with a small sail inventory
- Carbon-epoxy sandwich construction keeps weight low, complemented by spectacular interior detailing
- Large, comfortable cockpit with nap-length benches and dual-purpose seating farther forward
Cons
- Main cabin is small for a 50-foot boat, with steep-looking companionway steps
- Galley is forward of the mast, small, and lacks counter space beside the range and sinks
- Narrow beam and reduced interior volume limit cruising accommodation
