FIFTY – FIFTY
With the collaboration of Pauger Carbon.
Together with its upgraded version, the P47, they are part of the lesser-known boats that often sail on inland waters in Eastern Europe.
“50-50” refers to the fifty feet two-masted rigging of this unique carbon race catamaran. Its narrow hulls, masts, and unique rigging, along with its skilled crew, enabled the boat to win the Blue Ribbon (Kékszalag) in 2012 on Lake Balaton. They set the record for the longest and oldest regatta around the lake, which has been held since 1955.
The Fifty-Fifty, a 50-foot twin-masted catamaran, was commissioned by Hungarian entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast Márton Józsa. This project was designed by Dénes Paulovits for his 50th birthday and built by Pauger Carbon and became the first Hungarian catamaran to win multiple prestigious regattas on Lake Balaton.
The extremely lightweight boat is three times faster than the wind. When you look at photos, the platform appears to twist very little.
An upgraded version of the P50 Fifty-Fifty was built in 2022-2024, with total weight reduction of over 400 kg. P47 was a modified version of the P50, with different structure and solutions.
The company explains:
« The Hungarian catamaran class is an open class, meaning it is not bound by any rating system. Boats like the SL33, Decision35, AC45, Ventilo M1 or Extreme40 cats compete against the P50. All these catamarans are upgraded from the original design, with higher masts or extended hulls, focused on the light wind conditions. On Lake Balaton, one of the most prestigious regatta is the Blue Ribbon, where Fifty-Fifty is a three-time record breaker and five-time overall winner. All other regattas from May to July allow the cats to develop innovative upgrades in preparation for the Trophy.
Fifty-Fifty was developed and built to represent an innovative approach, giving the boat an opportunity for victory. Today, Fifty-Fifty is the refined version 2.0 of the original boat, which is over 400 kg lighter, received new carbon masts with carbon cabling, water ballast, and many other small innovations. This gives her a strong chance to win in the open class.
The essence of the Fifty-Fifty catamaran’s concept is not just that it has two masts, but the key lies in the position and rigging of the masts. The major challenge with catamarans is that the mast is usually mounted on the first crossbeam, the primary load-bearing element, which adds, drag and unnecessary elements in the composite. By mounting the masts on the hulls, weight will be reduced and the drag of the main and genoa will be effectively used on the other leeward sails.
The two mast tubes, which turn together in the direction of the wind, are connected at the top by a cross-bracing carbon tube (initially there was one at the bottom as well), and internal cross rigging, made of just 5 mm cables. Outwardly, there is no traditional lateral bracing—no conventional stays.
Dénes Paulovits comment was the following after the catamaran started sailing.
“I designed this boat for sailors to enjoy. Everyone gets a sail, and there’s plenty to adjust. With four sails up, four people have trimming tasks, and all the trimmers need to work together, to maximize the performance of the boat. It’s an interesting challenge.
Each hull has a complete sail setup, works differently on different wind angles and team play with the daggerboard all the time. During the years it turned out that the boat travels the fastest when boat hulls are in the water.
These rotating wing masts are also exceptional. Imagine this: nearly fifty-centimeter wing profiles!
The P47, was developed with a slightly different mindset. It has a wider hull, lighter displacement, and sailed for a few seasons under the shipyard’s brand. It is now stored in our yard, awaiting time for further development based on the past 12 years of experience we’ve gathered while observing Fifty-Fifty.
Specifications:
- LoA: 15m
- Beam: 9m
- Mast height: 2x19m, Rotating Wing mast
- Material: Carbon
The length of 50 feet corresponds to about 15.24 meters.
The Kékszalag, or Blue Ribbon race around Lake Balaton, is an international sporting event held annually in Hungary, gathering more than 30 boat classes. The regatta starts and ends in Balatonfüred after a circumnavigation of more than 155 km around Lake Balaton. Today, this regatta has become the most prestigious and oldest lake tour competition in Europe (the first was held in 1934). The Bol d’Or Mirabaud on Lake Geneva has existed since 1939, and the Centomiglia on Lake Garda since 1951. The Blue Ribbon’s course is the longest among Europe’s main lake events and also has the largest competitive fleet (612 sailboats in 2009). During the race, the Inland Navigation Rules apply. Since 2014, the Hungarian Yachting Association has lifted restrictions on multihulls, and today the race is open to all, in the spirit of its founders.
