Design and Construction
The 64 RS is built with unidirectional and bidirectional fiberglass sandwich construction, and the yard’s established method fully laminates structural bulkheads to hull and deck to form a rigid cage rather than relying on liners or cosmetic fillers. Titanium stanchions and pulpit are fitted, giving a strong sense of security at the rails. Compared with her larger sibling the Solaris 68, the 64 carries higher freeboard, and that additional hull height permitted a more spacious tender garage aft without sacrificing the beamy 5.40 m (17.72 ft) midsection. The lifting keel gives a variable draft between 2.60 and 3.75 m, letting the owner trade shallow-water access against the 10.83 ft draft that maximizes righting moment and windward grip.
Rig and Handling
Her sail plan is built around Banks Sails’ iRevolution membranes, a dyneema-and-carbon mix, with a 120 m² mainsail and 102 m² genoa driving a hull that displaces roughly 27.6 tonnes. A two-position hydraulic adjuster controls backstay and boom-vang tension so the rig can be quickly depowered or tightened from the helm. The cockpit carries five electric winches, the center one dedicated to the mainsail, and from the two steering stations the skipper can work sail-furling gear, the tender garage hatch, bow and stern thrusters on a single joystick, and keel and lighting controls. In testing by YachtClass, she reached 8.5 knots at 30 degrees off the apparent wind in just 10 knots of breeze, a figure that underlines the efficiency of the narrow, tall rig on a moderate displacement. Reference performance data places her sail-area-to-displacement ratio at 24.7 and her capsize screening figure at 1.79, with a comfort ratio of 36.1.
Accommodations
Below, the forward master cabin can be arranged with either a standard outboard double or an island berth, and a navigational data repeater sits right beside the bed so the owner can monitor passage data without leaving the stateroom. Two guest cabins are reached through the door beside the companionway; each holds two singles that join into a double and has a private head. The higher freeboard that shaped the exterior also contributes to the volume aft, where the tender garage sits clear of the living spaces.
The Verdict
The Solaris 64 RS is a thoughtfully engineered large cruiser that pairs a light-wind performance edge with the structural integrity of a fully laminated hull-and-deck cage. The lifting keel and joystick-controlled thrusters make a 64-foot yacht manageable in tight harbors, while the membrane rig and hydraulic controls deliver real speed without a full crew. The accommodations are clean and owner-oriented, though the performance-cruiser rating bands suggest she is tuned more for passage efficiency than raw regatta pace.
Pros
- Lifting keel with 2.60–3.75 m draft range for versatility
- Titanium rail hardware and fully laminated structure
- 8.5 kt in 10 kt wind at 30° apparent demonstrates light-air capability
- Joystick bow/stern thruster and garage control from either helm
Cons
- Estimated below-average performance band on reference scoring
- Higher freeboard may not suit those seeking low-slung profile
