C57 Bavaria Review, the Flagship That Started the C-Line

The C57 Bavaria and a year of upheaval in Giebelstadt

When the C57 Bavaria rolled onto the stand at boot Dusseldorf in January 2017, it signaled three changes at once. It was the largest yacht the company had ever built. It ended Bavaria's long partnership with Farr Yacht Design in favor of Maurizio Cossutti, an Italian best known for ORC race boats. And it introduced a new production method: interiors, hulls and decks built on three parallel tracks, with cabins and their bathrooms assembled outside the hull complete with wiring and plumbing, then dropped in.

The ambition outran the factory. YACHT magazine later reported that only four C57s were delivered in the year after the launch despite a much larger order book, as the modified assembly line struggled. In April 2018 Bavaria filed for insolvency; by September it belonged to Capital Management Partners. The C57 outlived all of that and remains Bavaria's flagship, the template from which the C45, C50 and later C-Line boats were developed. It replaced the Farr-designed Cruiser 56.

Twin rudders on a hull built for waterline

The hull uses nearly all its length: 51 ft 3 in of waterline (15.62 m) on a 53 ft hull, with a plumb bow, a broad stern and a barely visible soft chine. Unlike the smaller C45 and C50, which went back to single rudders, the C57 kept twin blades to control the wide stern when heeled. The keel was flattened to reduce wetted surface, and the boat was Bavaria's first to be vacuum infused, with vinylester resin used to save weight.

The rig is a tall keel-stepped Selden mast with double aft-swept spreaders, about 79 ft 7 in above the waterline. Upwind sail area is 136.5 square meters (1,469 sq ft) with the standard main and self-tacking jib, and the gennaker measures 232 square meters (2,497 sq ft). SAIL's test boat carried Elvstrom sails, an in-mast furling main and a Dyneema split backstay.

Keel choice matters more than usual. SAIL's boat had the shallower fin of about 6 ft 5 in, which gave only a 31 percent ballast ratio; a deeper keel of 8 ft 2 in with a bulb and a carbon mast were the performance options. Bavaria's current data lists 8 ft 2 in as standard and 6 ft 7 in as the option.

Eight knots upwind on Biscayne Bay

SAIL's Zuzana Prochazka sailed the first US C57 on Biscayne Bay in 18 knots over the deck and flat water. At 65 degrees apparent the boat made 8.3 knots, and hardening up to 45 degrees still gave 8 knots. Bearing away to 120 degrees, speed dropped to 5.7 knots because the big main blanketed the small self-tacking jib; a gennaker would have changed that picture completely. She found the boat agile, turning tightly and easily, with excellent sightlines from the outboard helm seats but little to brace against on a long watch.

Under power with the standard 80 hp engine and a fixed propeller, the test boat reached 8.3 knots at 3,300 rpm with some vibration, possibly from incorrect propeller pitch. SAIL suggested a normal cruise of about 7.5 knots at a more economical 2,600 rpm. Nobody has published a fuel curve, so plan range from your own logs; the builder's current data shows a 440 liter (116 gallon) fuel tank.

Garage, beach and two superyacht-style helms

Lower the transom and you get a large teak beach and a view into a garage that holds a fully inflated Williams MiniJet tender. A liferaft cubby sits to starboard. The transom seat hides an outdoor galley with refrigerator and sink, an idea Bavaria borrowed from Dufour. Forward of the helms, U-shaped settees face each other around two hi/lo tables that convert into a sunbed, one of three lounging areas along with the foredeck and the coachroof hatches.

Twin wheels hang from binnacles molded into the cockpit, each carrying B&G displays and engine controls, with optional Sidepower bow and stern thrusters. All sheets and halyards run to 2 by 2 winches in front of the pedestals, so one person can sail the boat from the helm. On deck, small molded bulwarks, six oversized pop-up cleats and generous handholds give a reassuringly solid feel; SAIL went as far as saying Bavaria does handholds better than any other builder.

Galley forward, owners forward, guests aft

The owner's layout puts a large centerline berth in the bow with a split head: toilet and basin to starboard, shower to port. Charter versions turn that space into two cabins sharing the heads. Aft there are two guest cabins, a full head with separate shower to port and a day head by the nav station; a further bunk cabin to starboard can replace the day head, or be fitted as a utility room with washer and dryer. A crew cabin in the forepeak is optional.

The galley sits forward of the saloon and one step down, which buffers the owner's cabin from the living area. It is wonderful at anchor and less convenient carrying hot food to the cockpit at sea. A three-burner stove and oven, twin fridge drawers and long solid-surface counters let two people cook at once. Joinery came in dark walnut, mahogany or light oak with solid wood edges for durability, and Bavaria claimed 88 square meters of living space, a figure that apparently counts the cockpit too.

Buying a used C57, and the early-hull question

Most C57s were sold into Europe, the Mediterranean charter trade and a handful of US owners, so supply in North America is thin. Expect asking prices of roughly $520,000 for an early hull to about $860,000 for a recent, well equipped boat. A new one commissioned in the US with the equipment owners actually order is likely to cost $900,000 to $1.25 million in 2026.

Given the production problems YACHT reported in 2017, ask for the build date, the warranty claim history and any factory rectification on boats from the first two seasons. Check whether the boat has the 110 hp shaft-drive Yanmar or the standard 80 hp saildrive, since the shaft option is easier to live with on a 40,000 lb boat and helps resale. Running a C57 in the US typically costs $45,000 to $90,000 a year once dockage for a 55 ft slip, insurance, haul-out, generator and engine service and a sail reserve are counted.