Hylas 54 Specifications | H ome (Back to home page of website www.Dakare.com)

General Information

This page provides information on:

The Hylas 54 Principals

References to Published Articles on Hylas 54 and Hood Sails

Hylas Overview Data

Dakare's Performance Parameters

The 200 NM/Day Target

The computed Stability Curve by the designer German Freer's

The computed Polars by the designer German Freer's.

Another Viewpoint by HeartSong III

Dakare's Saloon

The Hylas 54 Team is composed of the following members:

Importer: Hylas Yachts USA; (800)875-5114

Importer: Hylas Yachts Europe; +44 (0) 20 7834 8651

Designer: German Frers

Builder: Queen Long Marine, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan

Articles Written about the Hylas 54 & Hood Vertec Vertical Batten Roller Furling Main

Title	Author	Magazine	Date
Hylas 54 - Powerful, Commodious, and Fast		Blue Water Sailing Gallery of Great Boats	October 2000
Furling Mains	Peter Nielsen	Yachting Monthly, Pages 70-73	June 2000
Rugges Speedy and Spacious	Ted Hugger	Ocean Navigator, Number 93, Pages 14-17	Nov/Dec 1998
Island Hideaway		Yachting	October 1999
1999 Best Boats of the Year		Cruising World, Pages 60-61	March 1999
High Fives for the New Hylas 54		Blue Water Sailing	January 1999
Frers Flyer		Sail	December 1998

Hylas Overview Data

LOA: 54'1"

LWL: 45'9"'

Beam: 15'9"

Draft (deep keel): 7'0"

Displacement: 47,184 lbs.

Ballast: 20,015 lbs.

Sail Area: 1,251 ft @135%

The following table provides specifications for the Hylas 54 (our boat is 7" longer than the standard boat) and comparative data for the Theoretical Target Range of an Offshore 45 as designed by Jim Taylor and reported in Sail Magazine, Vol. 31, Number 7, July 2000, pages 54-59. Specs are also provided for the Oyster 56 and a comparative ratio is provided. (Note: Although the Hylas 54 generally measures 55' 5" overall, the importer prefers to call the length of the boat 54'1", discounting the bow anchor extensions in the front of the boat.)

Performance Parameter Table

(Click here to see Note: Describing Variances in Published SA/D ratios)

Spec	Hylas 54* (Dakare)	Target Range*	Oyster 56	Stellar 52	Ratio of H54/O56
LOA	55'5" + 7"	45'	57'4" (17.49)	51'9"	.97
Declared LOA	54' 1" (16.5m)		56' 0" (17.07)
LWL	45 '9" (13.9m)	41	47' 7" (14.50)	39'	.96
Beam	15' 9" (4.8m)	13.6	16' 3" (4.95)	15'4"	.96
Beam DWL	13.3'
Draft	7' (2.2m)	8'	7' 10" (2.39)	6'	1
Disp (lbs)	47,184 (20,015kgs)		57,200 (26,000)	38,000	.82
Ballast (lbs)	20,015 (9,079kgs)		16,000 (7,258)	12,000	1.25
Loaded	54,000				1.28
SA (Sq. Ft)	1,821 (169 Sq. M)	1,145	1,418 (131.7)	1,411	.94
Polars Click on Polar Diagram to enlarge!
Mast Height	72' + 9" (22.0m)		76' 5" (23.33)
SA/D (Note 1)	23.3 17.5 (note:)	18.4	15.3	16.5	1.5
D/L (Note 2)	217 (calc 241) 247	198	237	287	.92
B/D (Note 3)	.42	.4(?)	.28	.32	1.5
B/LWL (Note 4)	.345		.34		1.02
Comfort (Note 5)	38.5		41.3		.93
LPS (Degrees)	117	125	121
Water (Gal)	200 164	125	251 (950 ltrs)	208	.67
Fuel (Gal)	300 291	150	277 (1,050ltrs)	198	.92
Stability Index Click on Stability Diagram to enlarge!		125
Stability/SA		1.06
Engine (HP)	100/125 Yanmar 4JH3-DTE		110 Yanmar 4JH3-DTE	88

Notes referenced in Table Above:

(Note 1) SA/Disp Sail Area Displacement ratio - A measure of sail plan potential: Low (under Powered) ~10 - 14; Moderate ~ 15 - 17; High (racing) >18 SA/D = SA / ((D/64)(raised to 2/3 power))

(Note 2) D/L Displacement to Length Ratio - A measure of Displacement and water line length - indicates potential wave making resistance: Very Low (easily driven) ~<150; Light to Moderate ~ 150 - 200; Moderate ~250 - 300; Heavy (slow) >300 D/L = (D/2240)/((.01 x LWL)"Cubed")

(Note 3) B/D Ballast to Displacement Ratio - A measure of stiffness: Very low < .25; Average ~ .30 - .33 Very high > .4

(Note 4) B/LWL Beam to Water Line Length ratio - A measure of form stability wrt healing resistance: Low (heals easily - tender, CCA - like) <.3; Moderate (Reasonable form and directional stability) ~ .32 - .38; High (Typical of Open 60's) >.40

(Note 5) Comfort - A measure of motion comfort wrt dampening moment: Low (jerky) <20; Moderate ~30 - 50; High (Heavy Disp) >50 Comfort Index = Disp /(.65 x (.7 x LWL) + (.3 x LOA) x B(raised to 1.333 Power))

The 200 Nautical Mile/Day Target:

One of the considerations for moving up in size was the desire to make faster and more sea kindly passages. Although we had no specific target in mind, we understood that a larger vessel, because of its longer water line length, would allow us to make faster transits. The purchase of our 54 was not dictated by speed but by other realistic constraints, such as costs, maintainability and ease of handling by a crew of 2. The Table below, showing the mileage made during our Atlantic Crossing, is a good indication of our speed capabilities - but an explanation is required, especially in light of a an article recently published by Leonard and Stargzinger, which I believe is misleading.

Dakare's Atlantic Crossing Speed Table

	Nautical Miles	Passage Time	Engine Hours	Average Speed	Average Daily Distance
USVI to Bermuda	842	4D 6H	23	8.25	198
Bermuda to Azores	1843	9D 19H	65	7.84	188
Azores to Portugal	802	5D	49	6.68	160
Totals	3837	19D 1H	137	7.59	182

For over 19 days, we averaged 182 miles per day. The 3rd leg of that voyage, Azores to Portugal, was a slog against both wind and the adverse Portuguese Current. If we exclude that leg from our discussion, then we averaged 193 miles per day. What the table does not show, however, is the fact that for almost one day during the VI to Bermuda leg, we motored, and while motoring, in order to conserve fuel, we averaged about 7.5 knots during that period. Also, for the next leg, Bermuda to Azores, we motored about 2.5 days, averaging the same speed in order to conserve fuel. In both cases, excluding the time we spent motoring, we averaged over 200 miles per day each day. Our log shows that our maximum sustained speed (for a large part of the day) reached 10.3 knots and on that day we made 224 NM/day. We were extremely pleased with our passage time as with the comfortable motion of the vessel during those 2 legs.

We take issue with the article published by Leonard and Stargzinger in Cruising World, January 2005, page 74. In that article the authors indicate that the measure of 200 miles per day must be measured as the rhumb line ( miles made good to the destination, not distance over ground) route between the start and destination points. Like many of the subsequent Letters to the Editors show, that position in ludicrous since it does not take into account the fact that one may have to sail around obstacles, like other islands and land masses, that one may be constrained by weather, current (both favorable and adverse) or other prevailing conditions. I have never heard of anyone ever applying such an artificial constraint. One sails the distance sailed independent of the speed attained. (It is clear that the authors had limited access to the actual data (actual distance sailed) and in order to validate their conclusions they were forced to admit the constraints in their data - which did help them to rationalize their point because the rhumb line distance was shorter than actual and would therefore lower the calculated miles per day.) Constraining the measurement to distance between start and end points is akin to lying with statistics in order to make your point, theirs being that you must own a 75 ft LOA boat if you want to make 200 mile days. We are happy to report that it is possible to make 200 miles per day (our water line length is 45.9 ft.) if one takes the reasonable position that motoring mileage should be discounted as a form of unfair trade practices (and in our case since we choose to motor more slowly than we can sail, it behooves us to do so) and if you have access to valid data showing the actual distance sailed.

As published, the Leonard/Starzinger calculus is: Speed(knots) = 2.62 + 0.066(SA/D) + 0.051 (LWL) ===> For Dakare this gives the VERY unreasonable result as shown below. We have Never, ever gone this slowly,

Source of Information	0,066 (SA/D)	0.051(LWL)	Speed
Published Specs from Manufacturer	SA/D = 17.4(Provided by Frers) 1.15	2.35	6.12
Specs based upon actual measured displacement	SA/D = 16 (As Measured using Hood SA & measured Weight 1428 sq ft & 54000 lbs) 1.06	2.35	6.03

Given the points made above, we still plan to sail about 170 NM/day. This permits us to plan for the median situation. While making our offshore passages, we often alter our course from the Rhumb line route to take advantage of the prevailing situations and during the passage we look forward to beating our planned speed of 170 NM/day. We were pleased with our Atlantic Crossing and look forward to repeats.

Another Viewpoint - Hylas Owners Liza and Alan - Heartsong III, H54 #1:

For a great introduction and overview of the Hylas 54, we encourage you to look at the excellent Web site www.HeartSong3.com prepared by our friends Liza and Alan who are sailing around the world on their Hylas 54, Hull # 1. It was through them that we first became interested in the Hylas 54. Their Web site contains many interesting facts about the Hylas 54 that we shall not duplicate on this web site. We understand that they have now completed their circumnavigation and have sold their boat as of Aug/04.

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