Southerly Yachts – a brief history
Southerly Yachts is a hugely popular sailboat brand that offers its owners the freedom and versatility to sail in almost any waters. The brand has become internationally recognised in the mid-1970’s as the market leader for variable draft cruising yachts.
The Southerly unique swing keel
The swing keel was a unique concept when first launched by Southerly in 1978. Today there are over 900 Southerly Yacht owners worldwide that enjoy the flexibility of a deep draft for powerful sailing performance and precise directional stability, as well as the shallow draft for exploring many of the inaccessible coastlines and inland waterways.
Deep draft performance
The Variable Draft Keel provides a deep draft which gives a greater stability due to the increased righting moment. In practice the boat is stiffer, carries her sail better and carves her way efficiently to windward in any seaway. The Variable Draft Keel’s aerofoil shape is highly efficient — and allows you to point high (30°) with minimal leeway.
Shallow draft freedom
At the touch of a button, the keel can be raised to sail in very shallow waters. This means you can extend your cruising grounds considerably. Raising the Variable Draft Keel gives you access to many locations both for pleasure and for safety.
During 1975 and 2014 the Southerly yachts were developed and built in the delightful setting of Chichester Harbour at the Northshore Shipyard in Itchenor, West Sussex. By 2014, the Southerly range included yachts from 32ft to 57ft but sadly production ceased – with many owners dismayed at the announcement.
In 2017, the Discovery Group acquired the rights and tooling to re-start production. The Southampton based boat builder chose to concentrate on the mid-range models – the Southerly 48 and Southerly 54 – which proved to be a great success.
A new chapter in the history of Southerly Yachts begins as the Discovery stable launches a new updated aft cockpit raised saloon in the Southerly 42, whilst the design office gets to work on the new 36ft model and an updated Southerly 32 to follow.
Southerly Yacht Range
2017–2019
- Southerly 330
- Southerly 380
- Southerly 435
- Southerly 590
- Southerly 680
2012–2016
- Southerly 36
- Southerly 32
- Southerly Vancouver 38 Pilot
- Southerly 42RST
- Southerly Vancouver 34 Classic
- Southerly 420
- Southerly 47
- Southerly 49
- Southerly 535
- Southerly 57RS
- Southerly 675
- Southerly 470
from 2013 –
- Southerly 470
- Southerly Vancouver 28
- Southerly Vancouver 34 Pilot
- Southerly Vancouver 28
Drag reducing propellers for Southerly Yachts
Darglow have supplied drag reducing props for a number of models in the Southerly range. We keep an expanding database of technical information on many of our installations along with feedback from our customers.
Rope Cutters for Southerly Yachts
We have supplied rope cutters for various boats in the Southerly yacht range. We keep a database of technical information on many of our installations along with feedback from our customers.
Check our full list of Southerly Yachts we have supplied rope cutters for here.
You can find more on the Southerly story here – https://discoveryshipyard.com/southerly-story/
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