Walter Schulz, who founded Shannon Yachts, recently took control of the company again to set it back on track. His new course is a little different, and reflects some of the thinking that created the Shoalsailer. HPS stands for Hybrid Power Sailer, a term Schulz coined to distinguish the boat’s concept from that of the traditional motorsailer, which tends to be underpowered in the sail department while lacking the accoutrements of a power boat.
The 53 HPS has about 150 diesel horsepower, offered with a single or twin engines and either a sloop or a ketch rig, to drive a shoal-draft, beamy hull designed around the form Schulz developed and patented for the Shoalsailer.
The deck layout takes features from both power and sailboats, with an aft lounge, like the cockpit of a sport fisher, that gives access to a swim platform, and an elevated sailing cockpit with twin helms and a central sail-control console.
Belowdecks, in the Shannon tradition, Schulz will build what the customer desires, within certain structural and mechanical constraints.
