Racer-cruiserr

Bob Smith of Santa Cruz Yacht designed the new Santa Cruz 63 to be a comfortable and fast dual-purpose boat. I'm sure that, given the track record of this yard, you can count on a race version being produced at some time. But the initial drawings show a boat fully outfitted for cruising. Some of you will not recognize Bob Smith's name, and I don't know Bob personally, but he has been an integral and effective part of the Santa Cruz design scene for many years. Bob was very involved with the Santa Cruz 52 project, and you can see the same ideas carried over to this new design.

Unfortunately, to my jaundiced eye, the aesthetics were carried over a little too much. This boat is pretty ordinary looking, and I can see no reason for that. The sheerline is flattish with a total of about 5 inches of spring overall. The cabintrunk is boxlike and could have benefitted by some clever geometry tricks. The long, straight cockpit coaming could have also used a dash of imagination. While this is a handsome boat, why not make a 63-footer exciting visually? Headroom is no problem. Freeboard is no problem. Perhaps there was a conscious attempt to keep the 63 in the same aesthetic style as the 52. I just like to see the playful side of our nature displayed in the boats we choose to sail. Make them safe, make them fast and make them beautiful. We aren't talking "sensible shoes" here.

The 63 has a wonderful interior layout. The owner's stateroom is forward with a Pullman-style double berth. Forward of this is a head that spans the beam of the boat and after that a shower. Having the shower this far forward puts pressure on the cabintrunk to extend forward to provide the necessary headroom. That's always an aesthetic challenge.

The saloon features a big dinette with a center-island seat for an additional couple. There are port and starboard pilot berths, which would make perfect places to stow your guitar. The galley has lots of counter space and lots of stowage space. I'd cook braised lamb shanks in a wine sauce. The extended center leg of the galley counter makes it perfect for preparation and serving. If the icebox were moved into this center leg it would be great for crew access to cold drinks.

There are two more heads aft and quarter staterooms with double berths and plenty of locker space. The starboard stateroom has direct access to the starboard head and shower. I think these boats will be customized to specific owner requirements. If you don't want three heads you can have yours with two heads. The designer has provided a layout with two heads using the additional space for a washer-dryer combo and a linen locker. Suffice it to say you will be very comfy on this boat.

The hull is light with a D/L of 92.9 and a beam of 16 feet, 5 inches. The ends are short, and fore-and-aft rocker is as minimal as you would expect with any light boat. The rudder is a deep, all carbon fiber, semibalanced spade. The keel features a cast steel fin with a lead bulb. We have come to an agreement that we want all the stability we can get, and you can't do this with a traditional, all-lead keel, especially on a lightweight boat where you do not have the luxury of a high ballast-to-displacement ratio. To optimize stability you need to get the lead as low on the keel as possible.

The rig for the 63 is a fractional type with the cap shrouds going almost to the masthead. The spreaders are swept. The mainsail overlaps the backstay by about 8 inches, and there is no provision for sheeting a large genoa. The bowsprit will be deck mounted. The drawings show an inner forestay, but the angle on this is so steep I can't imagine it would be used for a staysail unless it is a very small storm staysail. The SA/D is a healthy but not terrifying 27.6.

The 76-horsepower Yanmar 4JH2HTBE turbo diesel should push the 63 along at close to 10 knots. Total fuel tankage is 220 gallons. If you slow down to 8 knots this will give you a 1,000-mile cruising range. Water tankage is 230 gallons.

The Santa Cruz yard has always done a nice job with its boats. The interiors are very well finished and the boats have had enough speed to make them threats in just about any fleet. The 63 represents that wholesome blend of speed and comfort that should ensure its long-range success.