What sets the Solaris 50 apart is its disciplined blend of race-bred hull geometry and a genuinely livable interior, without the visual clutter that often marks the category.
Design and Construction
Acebal drew the Solaris 50 with a slightly reversed dreadnought bow and hindquarters, complemented by a soft chine beneath a distinctive concave flare in the topsides. The T-bulb keel rakes slightly forward to mirror the angle of the bow. Buyers could choose shoal- or deep-draft fixed keels, or shoal- and deep-draft versions of a retractable keel.
The fixed keels are recessed into the hull and secured by bolts spaced less than 10 inches apart, a close pattern that reflects the boat’s structural intent. The hull and deck use conventional E-glass composite construction, cored with Airex foam and vacuum-infused with polyester resin. A vinylester skin coat on the hull helps ward off osmotic blistering.
All interior bulkheads are laminated to both the hull and deck for rigidity. The hull-to-deck joint is glued and mechanically fastened on 12-inch centers. A very deep single rudder completes the underwater profile.
Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling
The Solaris 50 carries a slightly fractional mast, leaving room for a spinnaker-halyard exit at the top. The split backstay is supported by a pair of Harken hydraulic cylinders.
Its self-tacking blade jib uses a belowdeck Harken furler and sheets to a recessed athwartships track forward. All working lines run aft through belowdeck galleries to four Harken winches ahead of the twin helm stations. Instead of a traveler, the mainsail sheets to a single fixed block on the cockpit sole.
The arrangement proved effective in light air. With full main and blade jib in 5 to 6 knots of true wind, the test boat made 6 knots closehauled at a 32-degree apparent wind angle. Cracked off to 45 degrees, speed increased to 6.3 knots. It fell to 4 knots only when the boat turned to 90 degrees and beyond, but setting a Code 0 on a beam reach quickly restored well over 6 knots.
The cockpit is deliberately shallow, with short bench seats and very low coamings that keep crew weight low and preserve clear sightlines. A large dodger-and-bimini frame disappears into a recessed trench sweeping around the companionway.
Interior and Accommodations
Below, the aft staterooms flank the companionway. Both are generously sized, with ample standing room near the doors and very large berths. The standard doubles are square, without cut-outs that would waste sleeping space.
Forward, the owner’s stateroom has an island double, abundant storage, and an en suite head with a separate shower. An alternative layout replaces it with a smaller Pullman-double stateroom, freeing the forward sail locker for crew quarters. The sail locker itself is generous and just large enough to take a berth if needed.
The saloon centers on a large folding-leaf dinette to port, opposite a full-length settee and two loose chairs that secure to the sole while sailing. To starboard are another settee and a full-size navigation station. The aft galley to port combines a three-burner Techimplex stove with extensive dry stowage and a large array of Frigoboat refrigeration.
A compact dinghy garage beneath the open transom can hold an inflatable tender or a somewhat deflated RIB.
Engine and Options
The standard engine is a 55hp diesel. Buyers could specify a 75hp Volvo Penta, as fitted to the test boat, driving a three-bladed MaxProp through a saildrive leg. Under power, that boat made 6.9 knots at a leisurely 1,900 rpm and 8.8 knots at 3,100 rpm with the throttle down.
The reviewed boat also carried optional size 60 Performa electric winches, a Hall Spars carbon-fiber mast, a carbon furling boom, and rod rigging. Other owner-selected upgrades included a retractable Max Power bowthruster and a climate-controlled wine locker. These were not part of the baseline specification.
Known Issue
A tester’s only criticism concerned the aft staterooms: ventilation is poor in those spaces, although the tester noted that this isn’t unusual for the type.
The Verdict
The Solaris 50 is a thoughtfully engineered performance cruiser for sailors who value clean deck geometry and strong light-air performance without giving up interior volume. It won’t suit those who want a traveler-controlled mainsail or breezy aft cabins, but its disciplined construction and flexible layout are hard to fault.
Pros
- Light-air performance that matches wind speed at a 32-degree apparent wind angle
- Rigorous hull-to-deck structure, with closely spaced keel bolts and laminated bulkheads
- Square, uncut double berths and a flexible forward-layout option for crew
- Deep, shallow-coamined cockpit with fully concealed canvas framing
Cons
- Poor ventilation in the aft staterooms
- Shallow cockpit benches may not suit every crew
- Many desirable systems—including the carbon mast, electric winches, and bowthruster—are optional rather than standard
