Frers Mystic 60

[aznarepse]

I am looking at boats between 50 and 60 feet and have come across a very nice condition Frers Mystic 60 (cutter rig) from early 2000.


I know of the model but have never sailed one and have not been able to find any review anywhere through my searches. I like aesthetically the boat, deck a bit busy for what I am used to.


Does anyone have first-hand experience with this boat that could provide some information about its sailing capability and characteristics, easiness of sailing short handed, problems, etc.?


I would very much appreciate some input. Thanks in advance!

[aznarepse]

Nobody...?

[HankOnthewater]

Hi A.
Was curious with your post. Sorry, never sailed the boat in question, never seen one and never heard of one. Indeed there is little info available on the net.
Maybe this: https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/mystic-60 , and then a few for sale.
Do you know how many have been built? Maybe not too many, and then not many sailors could share their experience.
Maybe try other forums like Sailnet?
Or maybe the best bet is to contact one of the owners who is selling.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by HankOnthewater

Maybe this: https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/mystic-60

What a monster! And you're planning to sail her "short-handed". Hm.

Are you sure you need a 60' boat, aznarepse?

(And no, I've never heard of the Mystic 60, nor sailed one. I have heard of German Frers, however, which is/was a respected builder - last time I heard their name, which was about when that boat was built...)

LW77

[aznarepse]

@HankOnthewater,
Thank you very much for your post. Sailboatdata is pretty much what I could find. The boats were mainly built by Ta Shing but I have also seen the design used by other builders. The design looks very sound.
I have also posted in sailing anarchy but have not had any reply post...

@LittleWing77
Thank you very much for your post too.

I am sure I don't need it, but I would like a bigger boat. I have had a 42 feet, 13 tonnes displacement, with all manual and without bow thruster for the last 25 years and I sail single handed most of the time and when not, it is normally with inexperienced crew. These ‘monsters’ run the gear on hydraulics and have bow thrusters. Admittedly, when things go wrong they go wrong bigger, but that ‘wrong’ line was already crossed with my current boat and it has been OK so far. 60 feet is the top end I would look at and probably 55 would be better but this Mystic look very well put.

I lived on board for 3 years a while ago but is was very limited. Not only in space for storage but also comfort wise. It was fun and matched the live style that I had back then. I am now looking for more space and more comfort to potentially live on board again. It is not a need but clearly a luxury.

German Frers designs boats for HR, Swan, etc. The Mystic 60 has significant resemblance to those brands designs from the same age.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Did you happen to see last week there were THREE dismastings on the Atlantic seaboard? All single-handed men on 40+ boats. Sailors were airlifted off by the USCG, luckily for them, but their boats lost...

Bit of a clarification:

*Two* (not three) dismasting-and-singlehander-rescues.

One in a 45-foot monohull
One in 33-foot monohull

[aznarepse]

This one is a nice example build in UK.


https://www.judd-yachts.com/7526697-kokomo

[TheOffice]

Frers designed the Hylas 54. This looks like a 54 on steroids. The 54 is my dream boat!

[Nicholson58]

I had the pleasure last season of racing a couple of club races on Antigua with one of our Salty Dawgs Cruisers on his Shipman 63. He solo sailed it Hampton, Va to English Harbor, Antigua in 7.5 days, 1500 miles. This boat is speed, comfort, fun, stability.

https://www.fatjax.com/

[Don C L]

I crewed on a Frers 65 in 1980 and the Mystic's hull and specs are similar though a bit smaller. I am sure the one you are looking at is fast. The one I was on won the China Sea Race the next year. She sure was fun, especially with the spinnaker up, quite a sleigh ride. We got her up to close to 20 knots and decided that was fast enough for a delivery. Though big (by my standards) she had a light feel. When you say sailing shorthanded do you mean just you and one other? There's a lot of sail area there to take care of. Have you sailed a similar boat before?
Upwind in short chop she may pound dramatically I suspect, as ours did. In my case there were 6 crew and the skipper for a delivery. The rudder post had been damaged apparently before I joined and after 3 days of upwind banging the rudder fell off. The good news is she will sail pretty well without a rudder! But only on certain limited headings and with a lot of quick work by the crew.
I think the specs show pretty much what you can expect from a design like that. Fast off the wind, pounding when going to weather, although the Mystic hull does not look as flat forward of the keel as the 65 I was on was, judging by the photos I saw.

[aznarepse]

Thank you all for your posts.
I am also guessing it will sail nicely. Not too racy but not sleepy and heavy either. Nice proportions and relationship between weights and surfaces.


In response to some questions:
Yes, short handed means down to two persons. I know it is not ideal but I believe reasonable with preparation and anticipation, given the amount of automation on board. I used to be an officer in the merchant navy and we were about 11 people in huge ships; as above: preparation, planing, and anticipation.



I have skippered 50 feet sailing boats (all manual) but not 60. Then, I have skippered over 200 metres ships...

[Don C L]

Sounds like you have experience to judge it then. For me, the furling and the mechanical advantages would have to be bomb-proof though. If things go south with that much boat and sail area, for two people, they can really go south. We had to change headsails quite a bit (no furlers on that boat) and even for four people on the foredeck, it was a workout at times. If you have a problem with a furler and you have to pull a sail down it could be really tough for two people, maybe impossible if conditions are rough. You probably know all this already though.

[aznarepse]

I managed to find a 'long test' article from Yachting World Feb 1988. Below an excerpt copied from it in case someone else is interested and to provide some info for people searching:
Subtitle
"A handsome, high-performance cruiser suitable for both private ownership and charter. The Mystic 60 is designed for cruising long distances in comfort"

Excerpt from 'under sail' section
"A crew of two can handle the yacht with easy in most conditions. We found the yacht very well balanced on all points in a moderate breeze under yankee, staysail and full main. She tacks through 80 degrees and has plenty of punch when sailing close-hauled. With sheets eased, she retains excellent directional stability, remains light on the wheel and is reluctant to roll even in a lumpy quartering sea. Her powerful sections and unusually high ballast ratio of 51.11 per cent ensure that she is well able to stand up to her canvas."