The Valiant 42 is a direct descendant of naval architect Bob Perry’s seminal Valiant 40, the first of which was built by Uniflite in Bellingham, WA, and launched in 1975. The 40 was a commercial and critical success: Some 200 were eventually built, and the boat, which is credited with introducing the term “performance cruiser” to the sailing lexicon, was inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Valiant 40 also had early success on the race course and in mara-thon shorthanded events like the OSTAR, the BOC Challenge, and the Bermuda One-Two. Mark Schrader became the first American to circumnavigate via the five Southern Capes aboard his…