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Quick Look: Shearwater 45

Best Overall Cruising Boat of the Year, Best Traditional Voyager
Dudley Dix Design

Three boats in this year’s contest took an old-school approach to offshore-cruising design, with low profiles in the freeboard and coachroof, moderate diplacement-to-length ratios in the mid-200s range, and snug, secure spaces below for cooking, eating, and sleeping. Competing in the Traditional Voyager category were the Fast Passage 40 designed by William Garden; the Royal Passport 43 designed by Robert Perry; and the Shearwater 45 designed by Dudley Dix. The prize goes to a boat that blends old-fashioned seagoing sense with a modern underbody for a powerful, seakindly ride: the Shearwater 45, built in Cape Town, South Africa.

From among the category winners, we name the 2001 Overall Cruising Boat of the Year. Of this boat, one judge said, “I was really impressed by the sailing; the thing was like a train on tracks.” Of her interior, another said, “She was traditional, but traditional in that it really was a sweet ergonomic layout for passagemaking, living in warm climates, or cruising. It’s a wood-dominated interior done by a fine ship’s carpenter.” The prize, and our deepest congratulations, go to Richard Acheson and Dudley Dix for the Shearwater 45.

Shearwater 45 Specs:

LOA: 51.42′ / 15.67m
LWL: 37.42′ / 11.41m
Beam: 13.08′ / 3.99m
Listed SA: 1144 ft2 / 106.28 m2 Draft (max.) 6.25′ / 1.91m
Displacement: 27550 lbs./ 12497 kgs.
Ballast: 10469 lbs. / 4749 kgs.
Sail Area/Disp.1: 20.15
Bal./Disp.: 38.00%
Disp./Len.: 234.73
Designer: Dudley Dix
Builder: Acheson Yachts (SA)

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