Grab a tiger by the tail, the new Sabre 51 Salon Express
I like the boats that Sabre Yachts builds—I even own one. My 1990 Sabreline 36 is a mere house cat compared to the roaring tigers they build today, but she is still a great boat. Why Saberline, not Sabre? In the late 1980s when they decided to dabble in the ever-growing powerboat market, Sabre was a well-established sailboat builder. They were concerned building powerboats might tarnish their proven reputation with sailboats, so they called these new models Sabrelines. Ten years later their powerboats had become well established and in the early 2000s, they threw off the “line” so to speak and switched to Sabre even for their power-driven models. In 2011, they stopped selling sailboats altogether, although it took several years before the last sailboats rolled out of their factories. As a fan of the brand, I was excited to see the new Sabre 51 Salon Express introduced on Collins Avenue at the 2026 Miami International Boat Show.
The Sabre 51 Salon Express carries the downeast style true to her Maine-built heritage and the boat at the show had a blue hull solidifying this look. The cockpit has comfortable seating with optional teak decking underfoot, a folding teak dining table and protection provided by the hardtop above. A stainless and glass slider connects to the salon which features abundant cherry paneling and immaculately joined cabinetry. Twin Stidd helm seats are at the helm, and a unique L-shaped passenger seat is to port which I was not sure about at first. After trying this seat, I found it is comfortable and provides good visibility. One person can lounge there with outstretched legs, or a few people can sit there while underway.
The Sabre 51 has a galley down configuration which I am not typically a fan of, but it works on this model for several reasons. With the light of the windshield overhead five steps lead down to the galley, creating a raised ceiling that brightens up the deck area below. This conveniently connects the galley to the salon above and opens up the space. The galley is also much larger than it would be if it were tucked into the salon. You get exceptional counter space, cabinet storage, and drawers especially because on the Sabre 51 there is a passageway aft of the galley that has additional counters and pantry space. This area is one of the fundamental differences between the new Sabre 51 and the previous model, the Sabre 48.
If you are not familiar with the 48, there was a seat in the salon that slid out electrically revealing a passageway down to a utility/crew cabin that typically had a bunk, storage, and laundry. This hidden cabin was pretty cool, but the logistics of opening and closing it or being blocked in when the lounge was in place did not always work. Sabre’s solution on the new 51 is much better. They created a large cabin that can host a double bed, laundry, storage, and even an optional head all tucked in the space under the salon and accessed through the galley pantry. I really like this solution as this cabin can be easily accessed, and works well as an office, laundry, and storage area that is big enough to hold electric bikes and other sizeable items when you don’t need a third sleeping cabin. It also extends the galley with additional pantry like storage and room for extra fridges and freezers.
The main owner’s cabin is behind shoji-screened sliding doors adjacent to the galley and features an athwartship island bed and a sizeable ensuite head with a separate shower. Forward there is a private VIP cabin with its own ensuite head. This means the Sabre 51 Salon Express can have up to three double cabins and three heads when extra sleeping space is needed or alternatively use that extra cabin for all kinds of things when less people are aboard.
I have driven many modern Sabres that have the same type of modified deep “V” planing hull design used on the Sabre 51 and they all have accelerated quickly and were fast and steady even when turning. Powered by twin Volvo Penta D8-IPS800 600 horsepower engines, the performance of the new Sabre 51 Salon Express should be impressive. The dealer in my area Bellingham Yachts will receive a new Sabre 51 Salon Express this summer. I am looking forward to grabbing this tiger by the tail to see for myself what she really can do.
Sabre 51 Salon Express MSRP: “Price Upon Request”
https://www.sabreyachts.com/yachts/51-salon-express
