Empacher 55' Fast Cruiser

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS

LOA    54' 6"
LWL    47' 7"
Beam   14' 0"
Draft    6' 6"
Displacement   43,520 lbs
Ballast   18,300 lbs
SA/Displacement   18
Displacement/L   180
Ballast/Displacement   42%

DESIGNER'S COMMENTS

The Dieter Empacher-designed Empacher 55' offers a unique combination of excellent performance with cruising comfort and offshore seaworthiness. The design is based on decades of cruising design, and an understanding of cruising needs bred from experience. While new fiberglass designs are often based on older hull shapes to avoid the tremendous cost of new molds and tooling, the aluminum hull of the Empacher 55' is an entirely new shape. While the buyer of a new, large fiberglass production yacht may unwittingly pay new boat prices for an aged design, the Empacher 55' offers a completely new approach to meeting the demands of the offshore sailor.

The hull shape features moderate beam in a deep hull with long, fair sailing waterlines. The deep hull sections set the boat apart from the many light displacement cruisers available. With a displacement/length ratio of 180 and a sail area/displacement ratio of over 18, the 55' is light enough for great performance, but the hull shape is optimized for offshore comfort. While light displacement cruisers very often feature wide, flat sections that result in an uncomfortable motion with poor tracking stability in a sea, the deeper sections of the Empacher 55' ensure a gentle motion and excellent tracking. The moderate aspect ratio keel is more forgiving and less apt to stall than a high aspect ratio fin, and provides greater roll damping in extreme conditions. All this adds up to a boat with excellent sailing performance and superior comfort and seaworthiness.

Below, the 55' offers a spacious master stateroom with private head. A double stateroom aft provides convenient sleeping quarters for the off watch, keeping them close to the cockpit. The open main salon features a large dining area with seating for six. The galley has ample counter and storage space, and a large bin sink. A nav station and aft head with stall shower round out the practical interior. The interior is finished in the highest quality tradition of Empacher yachts. Comfort starts on deck, with a hardtop dodger that shelters the cockpit while allowing good visibility in all directions. Sail controls and halyards are led aft to the T-shaped cockpit, with seats that extend forward under the shelter of the hard top. The low cabin house contributes to a sleek, modern profile that retains the classic influence of traditional designs.


Back to Sail