The St Francis 500 is aggressively canvassed for its weight.
Performance Ratios
Racing handicap, sail-carrying power, stability and comfort — and what each one actually tells you about a day on the water.
SA / Displacement
23.8
Performance-oriented — carries a lot of canvas for its weight.
PHRF Fleet Position
Where the St Francis 500 sits on the PHRF handicap spectrum — lower numbers mean faster boats.
Dufour 48
Wind Range & Comfort Envelope
Estimated wind ranges for comfortable sailing on the St Francis 500 — based on sail area, ballast, and displacement characteristics.
Ghosting
0–5 kts
Light air, motor-sailing likely. Need patience and a light genoa.
Sweet Spot
5–16 kts
Comfortable under full sail. Best speed-to-comfort ratio.
Time to Reef
16–24 kts
Time to shorten sail. Reef the main, swap to a working jib.
Heavy Weather
24+ kts
Storm conditions. Storm jib or bare poles. Seek shelter if coastal.
How It Compares
Side-by-side with the boats most often cross-shopped against the St Francis 500.
| St Francis 500 | Balance 502 | Dufour 48 | Excess 13 | Rapido 50 | St Francis 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | ||||||
| LOA | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.2 | 50.2 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| LWL | — | 50.0 | 40.1 | 42.6 | 49.1 | 47.1 |
| Beam | 26.3 | 25.9 | 15.9 | 23.8 | 34.1 | 26.3 |
| Displacement | 31 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 18 | 27 |
| Ballast | — | — | 8 | — | — | — |
| Sail Area | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Performance | ||||||
| PHRF | — | — | 129 | — | — | — |
| SA/Disp | 23.8 | 26.7 | 20.5 | 24.3 | 40.4 | — |
| Bal/Disp | — | — | 27.7 | — | — | — |
| Comfort | — | — | 27.6 | — | — | 11.3 |
| Capsize | — | — | 2.04 | — | — | 3.48 |
| Hull Speed | — | — | 8.5 | — | — | 9.2 |