Design and Construction
Acebal gave the Solaris 50 a hull with a slightly reversed dreadnought bow and hindquarters, set off by a soft chine beneath a distinctive concave flare in the topsides hull design features a slightly reversed dreadnought bow. The T-bulb keel is raked slightly forward to mirror the bow's angle, and buyers could choose shoal- or deep-draft fixed keels or a retractable keel both shoal- and deep-draft versions of the keel are available. Fixed keels are recessed into the hull and held by bolts spaced less than 10 inches apart, a close pattern that speaks to structural intent. The hull and deck are a conventional E-glass composite cored with Airex foam and vacuum-infused with polyester resin, with a vinylester skin coat on the hull to ward off osmotic blistering. All interior bulkheads are laminated to both hull and deck for rigidity, and the deck joint is glued and mechanically fastened on 12-inch centers. A very deep single rudder completes the underwater profile.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a slightly fractional mast to leave room for a spinnaker-halyard exit at the top, while the backstay is split and supported by a pair of Harken hydraulic cylinders. The blade jib is self-tacking, deployed through a belowdeck Harken furler and sheeted to a recessed athwartships track forward self-tacking blade jib. All working lines run aft through belowdeck galleries to four Harken winches ahead of the twin helm stations, and the mainsail sheets to a single fixed block on the cockpit sole rather than a traveler. In light air the concept proved effective: 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, improving to 6.3 knots when cracked off to 45 degrees made 6 knots fully powered up at a closehauled 32-degree apparent wind angle. Speed fell to 4 knots only when turned to 90 degrees and beyond, yet a Code 0 on a beam reach quickly restored well over 6 knots.
Accommodations
The cockpit is deliberately shallow, with short bench seats and very low coamings that keep crew weight low and sightlines clear. A large dodger/bimini frame stows invisibly in a recessed trench sweeping around the companionway. Below, the aft staterooms flanking the companionway are generously sized, with ample standing room by the doors and very large berths; the standard doubles are square, free of cut-outs that would waste space. Forward, the owner's stateroom holds an island double, abundant storage, and an en suite head with a separate shower, while an alternative layout substitutes a smaller Pullman double stateroom to free the sail-locker forward for crew quarters. That sail locker itself is generous, just roomy enough for a berth if needed. A compact dinghy garage sits under the open transom, accommodating an inflatable tender or a somewhat deflated RIB. 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 lie another settee and a full-size nav station. The galley aft to port pairs a three-burner Techimplex stove with extensive dry stowage and a large array of Frigoboat refrigeration.
Known Issues
Ventilation in the aft stateroom spaces drew a tester's single critique, described as poor but not unusual for the type ventilation is poor in the aft stateroom spaces.
Refits and Ownership
The standard 55hp diesel can be supplemented by a 75hp Volvo Penta, as on the test boat, turning a three-bladed MaxProp on a saildrive leg; motoring delivered 6.9 knots at a leisurely 1,900 rpm and 8.8 knots at 3,100 rpm with the throttle down. Optional Performa electric winches size 60, a Hall Spars carbon-fiber mast, carbon furling boom, and rod rigging appeared on the reviewed boat, alongside a retractable Max Power bowthruster and a climate-controlled wine locker — all owner-level upgrades rather than baseline spec.
The Verdict
The Solaris 50 is a thoughtfully engineered performance cruiser that rewards the sailor who values clean deck geometry and a light-air turn of speed without surrendering interior volume. She is not a boat for those who want a traveler-fed main or breezy aft cabins, but her construction discipline and layout flexibility are hard to fault.
Pros
- Light-air performance that matches wind speed at 32 degrees apparent
- Rigorous hull-to-deck structure with closely bolted keel 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 aft staterooms
- Shallow cockpit benches may not suit all crews
- Many desirable systems (carbon mast, electric winches, bowthruster) are optional, not standard
