offshorelarge-cruiser

Hinckley Sou'wester 51

Henry R. Hinckley & Co. · 1984 · Sloop rig

Hinckley Sou'wester 51 profile drawing
LOA51.16'
Beam14.08'
Draft5.92'
Displ.22.0t
Rigsloop
HullFiberglass

Bluewater Evidence · Ocean Proven

95% confidence

2 named boats of this design have finished ocean races in the official results: Marlow (Newport Bermuda Race 2002), Momentum (Newport Bermuda Race 2002). 3 named boats of this design have finished the 645-mile Marion-Bermuda Race in the official results: Kiva (2005 and 2017), Galileo (2005), Momentum (2015 and 2019).

Overview

The Hinckley Sou’wester 51 is a McCurdy & Rhodes keel-centerboard design from Henry R. Hinckley & Co. in Maine, built from 1984 according to sailboatdata.com. Its place in this catalog rests on its ocean racing record: 2 different boats of the design have finished the Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Hawaii or the Newport Bermuda Race in the official results.

Design and Construction

sailboatdata.com lists the underbody as keel/cbrd., 51.16 ft overall on a 37.5 ft waterline, with 14.08 ft of beam and 11.08 ft of draft. Displacement is about 44,000 lb with 15,040 lb of ballast, and the masthead sloop carries about 1,240 sq ft.

Ocean Racing Record

Marlow (Middleton) finished the Newport Bermuda Race (2002). Momentum (Womsley) finished the Newport Bermuda Race (2002). Kiva finished the Marion-Bermuda Race in 2005 and 2017. Galileo finished the Marion-Bermuda Race in 2005. Momentum finished the Marion-Bermuda Race in 2015 and 2019.

Passage records

Marlow· Middleton2002

Newport Bermuda Race (2002)

Finished 1 time in the official results.

Source: Newport Bermuda Race official results

Momentum· Womsley2002

Newport Bermuda Race (2002)

Finished 1 time in the official results.

Source: Newport Bermuda Race official results

Kiva2017

Marion-Bermuda Race 2005, 2017

Finished 2 times in the official results.

Source: Marion-Bermuda Race 2017 official results

Galileo2005

Marion-Bermuda Race 2005

Finished 1 time in the official results.

Source: Marion-Bermuda Race 2005 official results

Momentum2019

Marion-Bermuda Race 2015, 2019

Finished 2 times in the official results.

Source: Marion-Bermuda Race 2019 official results

What sailing channels say about the Hinckley Sou'wester 51, quoted from video transcripts with a link to the exact moment. Opinions belong to the speakers; the written review above stays independent of them.

recommends

The owner describes Momentum as a high performance 51-foot cruising boat that is "not a race boat" but races well to her rating: "a fast Cruiser quite stiff". He says the carbon rig takes a lot of the unpleasant motion out of the boat in a confused sea and chop, and that she is easy to single-hand, with sails up within seven or eight minutes of leaving a mooring or berth.

Berthon International

[OFF MARKET] Hinckley Sou'wester 51 Competition (MOMENTUM) Sea Trial, with Owner - Berthon Int.

▶ watch at 0:03
discusses

The owner says the 51 was first launched in 1985 and that most were centerboard boats; Momentum is one of three built with deep keels. Because the original owner had already built a Southwester 42, he sat down with the foremen and construction team to build the boat as a system rather than in series, which the owner says gives her better access to systems than any sister ship.

Berthon International

[OFF MARKET] Hinckley Sou'wester 51 Competition (MOMENTUM) Sea Trial, with Owner - Berthon Int.

▶ watch at 0:35
discusses

Single-handing setup as described by the owner: the original owner fitted a furling main and brought the control lines back to the cockpit with electric winches, and the current owner added a wired remote for the main sheet winch and an electric headsail furler. A new carbon rig last year took 450 pounds out of the old rig, and he went up five feet in height, which he says adds about 115 square feet of sail area and makes the boat faster especially in light to medium air.

Berthon International

[OFF MARKET] Hinckley Sou'wester 51 Competition (MOMENTUM) Sea Trial, with Owner - Berthon Int.

▶ watch at 2:14
discusses

The owner says his first Bermuda trip was aboard Momentum in 2014 and he has done five races since. After a later Bermuda race, a crew of four including himself sailed her direct to Troon, Scotland.

Berthon International

[OFF MARKET] Hinckley Sou'wester 51 Competition (MOMENTUM) Sea Trial, with Owner - Berthon Int.

▶ watch at 3:21
  1. [1]EditorialWikipedia: Sou'wester 51- Baseline specs from the article infobox and text: rig_i_ft, rig_j_ft, rig_p_ft, rig_e_ft. Identity checked against this page's LOA and beam.
  2. [2]SpecificationsHINCKLEY SOU'WESTER 51 - SailboatData.com- Dimensions, displacement, ballast, sail area, keel, rig, designer and production.
  3. [3]EditorialNewport Bermuda Race official results- Official results; Hinckley Sou'wester 51 finishes.
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