Review of Gulfstar 60

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

The Gulfstar 60 has been built with more than one type of keel.

One option is a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

Another option is a centerboard keel. A centerboard keel is a pivoting lifting keel, allowing to sail both coastal and inland waters.

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.04 - 2.14 meter (6.69 - 6.99 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The boat is typically equipped with an inboard Perkins 6.354 T diesel engine at 165.0 hp (122 kW), which gives a max speed about 8.4 knots.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Gulfstar 60 is 1.61, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 9.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Gulfstar 60 is about 481 kg/cm, alternatively 2695 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 481 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 2695 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Gulfstar 60 is 3.78.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is slimmer than 69% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a slightly more speedy hull design.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Gulfstar 60 is 249 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.

21% of all similar sailboat designs are categorized as heavier. A heavy displacement combined with smaller water plane area has lower acceleration and is more comfortable.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for Gulfstar 60 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 15.8, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 18.8.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 76m² (818 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Gulfstar 60 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.