Bavaria 46
Bavaria · J&J Design · 2005
Updated
The Bavaria 46 is a 13.98 m displacement racing yacht designed by J&J Design and built by Bavaria, first launched in 2005. It races in Class B. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 46% of the designs it races against. It comes alive as the breeze builds, and gives time away in the light.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 46% of the boats it races against.
50th of 92 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 42 starts across 9 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
13.98 m
45′ 10″
Beam
4.42 m
Draft
1.97 m
Displacement
11.8 t
Sail area
112 m²
On the podium
Where a Bavaria 46 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
12%
of 42 starts by 4 boats
Wins
2%
Read from 42 starts by 4 boats between 2016 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Bavaria 46 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Lliga Creuers2026- XXX Lliga Social CMPO2026
- Lliga Creuers2025
- XXIX Lliga Social CMPO2025
- Regata ADos2025
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
6%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
—
Not enough data yet: 8 races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Bavaria 46 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
First 40.7 (6 meetings), X-412 (5 meetings), Grand Soleil 40 (Paperini) (3 meetings), Dufour 40 (3 meetings), Grand Soleil 341 (2 meetings), First 47.7 (2 meetings), Sun Odyssey 49 (3 meetings), Comet 36 (2 meetings), Sun Fast 3600 (1 meeting), Xp 44 (1 meeting), Bavaria Match 38 (1 meeting), First 36.7 (1 meeting), Comet 45 (1 meeting), Oceanis 43 (1 meeting), Farr 39 (1 meeting), X-482 (1 meeting), Farr 30 (1 meeting), Grand Soleil 46 (Carkeek) (1 meeting), Sun Odyssey 379 (1 meeting), Dehler 42 (1 meeting), First 31.7 (1 meeting), Dufour 34 (1 meeting), X-302 (1 meeting), Platu 25 (1 meeting), First Class 8 (1 meeting), Sun Rise 35 (1 meeting), JOD 35 (1 meeting), Solaris 36 (1 meeting)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Bavaria 46 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
5.56
41°
Beam reach
9.19
90°
Broad reach
10.02
135°
Downwind VMG
8.16
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
It does most things without giving much away. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is across the wind in a strong breeze, where it does more than its size and sail area promise, and by a margin worth having.
Where it pays
It falls short on the beat in the light stuff, giving away time it never gets back.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.6 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the beam reach.
How fast is a Bavaria 46
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.33 | 4.69 | 5.30 | 5.56 |
| 52° | 5.26 | 7.14 | 7.85 | 8.15 |
| 60° | 5.69 | 7.47 | 8.13 | 8.45 |
| 75° | 6.01 | 7.73 | 8.41 | 8.91 |
| 90° | 5.92 | 7.83 | 8.62 | 9.19 |
| 110° | 5.88 | 8.10 | 9.02 | 9.94 |
| 120° | 5.75 | 7.97 | 9.00 | 10.21 |
| 135° | 5.16 | 7.48 | 8.65 | 10.02 |
| 150° | 4.33 | 6.56 | 8.05 | 9.23 |
| Run VMG | 3.75 | 5.68 | 6.99 | 8.16 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 500 kg.
Rigging
Bavaria 46 rig and sail dimensions
A Bavaria 46 carries 15.90 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.60 m boom, a forestay 16.55 m above the deck and a 6.30 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 9 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 120 to 161 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.