It ’s GOT GAME
Like a basketball star who can do a host of things very well, the BAVARIA C50 STYLE is a versatile performer with plenty of intriguing moves.
In the parlance of basketball, a game I once played enthusiastically if not particularly well, “length” has become a catchall phrase embodying multiple attributes. A player described as having good length is generally tall, of course, but he (or she) probably has an impressive wingspan; is rangy and athletic; and is very efficient, on offense and defense, and around the boards. Length, in this context, means many things.
Curiously, the same term came to me after inspecting the new Bavaria C50 Style during our Boat of the Year testing this past fall at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. The reason, I think, is because the boat is interesting and effective on several levels. With a 50- plus-foot waterline, it’s certainly long; and with an air draft of more than 76 feet, it’s also tall. Its all-around versatility is embodied by the quartet of different available cabin layouts, its three interior wood options (walnut, white oak and mahogany), and its many choices of fabrics and upholstery, among other features. It’s a very lengthy yacht.
There are actually two versions of the C50: Holiday and Style. The Holiday model is a relatively barebones charter boat, while the Style, which we tested, is a full-fledged cruising boat with bells and whistles galore. The “C” stands for “cruiser”; naval architect Maurizio Cossutti is the designer of this new Bavaria range, which also includes the C45 and the C57. Cossutti is known for his slick, quick renderings, and was clearly tasked with delivering an ultra-contemporary performance cruiser. In that respect, he certainly earned his commission.
In profile, the C50 is, well, flat. The Bavaria rep who presented the boat to our judging panel likened the wide, clean, expansive deck to an aircraft carrier, and he wasn’t kidding. With its sliver of a coachroof complemented by a trio of rectangular windows in the hull, the look is somewhat stark and aggressively modern. Cossutti wasn’t kidding around.
It’s crystal-clear that a workable, comfortable and inviting cockpit, the center of activity (underway and at anchor) on any good cruising boat, was a massive priority. The C50 has a terrific one. All major sail-control lines are led aft under panels (no sullying of that deck) and within easy reach of the twin helms, making solo operation simple and easy. This includes the double-ended German-style mainsheet; we see these everywhere nowadays. One of the rarely mentioned benefits of this setup is that with a pair of hands, it’s remarkably easy to control the main in a jibe. No small matter.
There are twin tables facing one another in that wide cockpit (both can be lowered and topped with cushions to make cozy daybeds), with a clear walkway between them aft to the transom. That clean flow is no accident, nor is the gargantuan drop-down transom that turns into one of the most generous boarding platforms you’ll ever see on a yacht in this size range. Once dropped, there is ready access to a deep dinghy garage with its own handy compressor, so you can quickly tend to the inflatable it’s designed for. Little, big things.
The double-spreader Seldén rig is deck-stepped and utilizes a self-tending jib on its own track (with a hidden, below-deck Furlex furler) and a traditional mainsail (furling mains and tracks for overlapping headsails are optional). There’s a fixed, composite bowsprit forward for the ground tackle and tacking a cruising chute or code zero. Just aft of that is a huge sail locker that can also be configured as a tight but functional captain’s cabin. The Esthec composite decks (also an option) provide good grip and are well done.
Despite the twin wheels, there’s but a single rudder, but it’s deep and provides ample control. Unfortunately, during the sea-trials portion of our inspection, we basically got skunked for breeze, which didn’t rise above 5 knots. The boat still skimmed over a very still Chesapeake Bay at over 3 knots: Long live long waterlines.
That said, the C50 performed very well under power (though the 66-gallon fuel tank seems somewhat stingy for a yacht with this size and ambition), topping off at nearly 9 knots with the throttle relatively open. (Bow thrusters are optional but recommended; you can get one in the tunnel mount or a retractable version.) Judge Ed Sherman was down below with the decibel meter and said: “At 2,800 rpm, our decibel reading was 72. Those are pretty nice numbers. And I’d like to remind people that the whole reason we check these decibel levels is that it’s an indicator of a certain level of quality, and indicative of the way things fit together, or how well they screw down or not, and how the parts of the boat interact internally. It’s a huge differentiator; a quality boat is going to be quite quiet down below, while a lesser one is going to tend to be noisier. So, not bad. In my view, everything about these recent Bavarias is significantly better than the boats earlier in our contest.”
Another feature Sherman praised was the proprietary Naviop digital-switching system, which Bavaria developed with B&G, whose instruments are standard (though there are several different packages from which to choose). A corresponding app controls all 12-volt functions, monitors tankage and so on (and of course has a manual override). Very nifty.
The boat comes very well-equipped and includes a Fischer Panda 8-kilowatt generator that is mounted behind the companionway stairs, along with the 80 hp Yanmar diesel, the largest available in a saildrive configuration.
Our test boat was the owner’s version, with a very plush stateroom forward that also includes separate compartments for the shower and head. There are two aft cabins, the one to port being slightly larger and with side access to the berth.
The U-shaped galley is to port at the foot of the companionway, opposed by a good-size nav station to starboard. The saloon is more or less traditional, with settees to port and starboard, the former of which flanks the ample dining table. The vacuum-infused construction is straightforward and employs foam core in the hull and deck, making for a light but solid platform.
Circling back to the basketball analogy, you might say the Bavaria C50 is like a solid college player from a major program with realistic pro aspirations. In other words, it’s got game.
Herb Mccormick is CW’S executive editor.
Decibel readings under power are an indicator of a certain level of quality, and indicative of the way things fit together.