Cookson 50, the secrets of an evergreen (and everwinning) superboat

The winner in IRC of the Rolex Middle Sea Race was him, Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato’s Cookson 50, which literally made all the IRC boats and even ORC boats eat their dust. Behind him is another Cookson 50, Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Cippa Lippa 8 (and ORC triumphant), winner of many Mediterranean regattas and, recently, of the 151 Miglia (won in 2015 by another Cookson 50, Germana Tognella’s Cantankerous). Around the world, this boat has been enjoying major success in all offshore races for years (including the legendary Sydney Hobart or the RORC 600 Caribbean): yet it is beginning to look rather “dated,” as the New Zealand shipyard’s first boat was launched in 2004.

THE HAND OF FARR
What are the secrets of this “evergreen” racer-cruiser, 15.24 meters long (at waterline 13.85) and 4.33 wide? First of all, the skill of the designer who signed it, none other than Bruce Farr, who opted for an ultralight displacement hull (only 7 tons) that winks at the TP52s, with exaggerated beam and almost zero momentum, but at the same time decided to rely on a rather high freeboard to optimize height in the underdeck and make it comfortably habitable even when cruising.

UNDER THE HULL
A canting keel with a steel fin and lead bulb (3.00 m draft, hydraulically controlled with a maximum slope of 35° and optionally extendable to 3.25) and a central canard forward of the mast contribute to improved sailing performance. Another strength is ease of handling: especially now that the design trend aims to reduce the crew needed to carry the boat. Solutions that might seem obvious today, but 12 years ago were not at all.

TOP MATERIALS
The materials are also first-rate. The hull is built in female mold and is made of carbon fiber with Corecell foam core. The laminates are infused with epoxy resin, consolidated under vacuum and controlled heat. Load points are reinforced with carbon laminates. The deck comes complete with winch and stopper, mainsail trolley, and everything else needed for the boat to be ready to sail in the best possible way (excluding sails).The double wheelhouse is made of carbon mounted on pedestals also made of carbon. The total sail area is The standard engine is a 54-horsepower Yanmar with saildrive.

“MINIMAL” UNDERDECK
Below deck the design is marked by rationalism, no frills but endowed with a certain elegance. Two single aft berths to starboard and port, the large saloon, with galley and L-shaped sofas and ultralight carbon chart table, the double master cabin forward with a small bathroom. Not bad for a boat that was born primarily for racing.

PRICE? VERY HIGH, BUT WORTH THE EXPENSE….
The price? Very high, and it holds the market like never before: you will hardly find a used model (even from 2006, ten years old then) for less than 350,000 euros (so it would be a super bargain, we have seen models costing as much as 430,000). If, however, you have the opportunity, and are looking for a boat that will allow you to take–surely, we would add–great satisfaction in offshore racing and between the buoys, without precluding family cruising, we can only recommend it. If you want to buy it new instead, the shipyard offers three configurations, the Standard, Turbo and Deluxe versions. www.cooksonboats.co.nz