Sailboats Over 40ft

In the recent Velux 5 Oceans Race, four solo sailors piloted their 60-foot boats some 30,000 miles around the globe, putting a number of innovative products to the test. The race required each boat to be equipped with at least three means of power generation, and two had to be alternative forms of energy. Racers Brad Van Liew and Zbigniew Gutkowski each supplemented power from their auxiliary engines, solar panels, wind generators, with two new Watt & Sea hydrogenerators. Because of the reported efficiency of these transom-hung devices, the singlehand sailors enjoyed the rare phenomenon of surplus power. Two other racers, Chris Stanmore-Major and Derek Hatfield, relied on more traditional alternative energy sources: wind gens and solar panels. All four were enthusiastic about the example they might be setting for other sailors, but are emerging technologies like hydro-power generation practical for the typical cruising boat?

There is magic in sailing. What is sometimes harder to grasp is the magic in boats. But it is there. It is undeniably there. It is there when first you step aboard and feel the boat come alive underfoot. It is there when the sails fill and quiet as you come out of the eye of the wind. And it is there when you take the tiller under a dome of stars and realize youre connected to something much, much bigger than a rudder. There IT is, as persistent as a heartbeat: a pulse, a throb, a jolt of I-cannot-explain-this magic.

A daysailer was once simple and small, an entry-level passport to the sport. In the new millennium, however, that has changed. Simplicity may still be a watchword, but the boats have grown into what could be called trophy boats. Hinckley Co.s latest daysail boat is 42 feet long. Morris Yachts is marketing a boat that stretches 53 feet as a daysailer. Ted Fontaine at Friendship Yachts already has built one that size. And these are only a few of the daysail boats with minimal accommodations, big cockpits, and over-size price tags that are filling up the fleet. In all, more than a dozen elegant daysailers have made it to market. This article compares an even dozen: the Alerion Express 28, 33, and 38 (Pearson Composites); e33 (e Sailing Yachts, Robbie Doyle and Jeremy Wurmfeld); the B-38 (Luca Brenta); Bruckmann 42 (Bruckmann Yachts); Crosscurrent 33 (Maxi Dolphin); the Friendship 40 (Ted Fontaine); Harbor 25 (W.D. Schock); Hinckley 42 (Hinckley Yachts), J-100 and J-124 (JBoats), Morris 36 (Morris Yachts), Sabre Spirit (Sabre Yachts), and the wallynano (Wally Yachts).

The U.S. Naval Academy’s new Navy 44 MkII is a seaworthy workhorse that skips the design fluff and focuses on being training-boat tough and race-boat efficient. Designed by David Pedrick, the Navy 44 MkII—younger sister to the Navy MkI racer-cruiser-teacher--is meant to be cruised and raced for 20 years, and to endure two or three times the wear and tear of the average production boat. The boat was designed to act as a sail-training platform with heavy-duty usage by midshipman, while at the same time performing like a race boat for experienced crew. The biggest challenge in designing the boat lay in achieving the requisite strength, stability, and longevity while keeping the vessel's weight from overwhelming performance. Equipped with a Yanmar 4JH4E, and a full array of B&G electronics, the sloop also has Furuno radar, GPS, a NavNet digital chart system, Icom VHF, and SSB.

The Hanse 400 is a cruising boat for those who love to sail, and a club racer for those who enjoy a summer cruise. Its construction quality and price point qualify it as a cost-effective alternative in the 40-footer marketplace. In comparison to mainstream production cruising boats, the Hanse 400 is an absolute performance standout, not only in its ability under sail, but in its ease of operation. (Photos by Ralph Naranjo)

The Morgan 41 sloop is arguably one of the best looking of many lovely dual-purpose sailboats that the Cruising Club of America handicap rating system engendered. One owner described his boat as a Bermuda 40 for a regular Joe, only prettier. Designer Charley Morgan traces the cruiser-racers heritage, particularly below the waterline, back to Olin Stephens famous Finisterre, and Comanche, a 40-foot centerboarder built by Wirth Munroe, son of famed sharpie designer and South Florida pioneer Commodore Ralph Munroe.

The Ericson 41, a classic, well-made sloop designed by Bruce King continues to draw followers with its classic lines and solid performance. With the right upgrades, the well-mannered Ericson 41 makes for an excellent cruising sailboat that stands apart from the crowd. Watch for deck core problems and hidden rudder-stock corrosion within the spade rudder.

With a taller rig and layout choices, Bob Perrys classic comes of age.

Is this wannabe passagemaker for real?

Hunter’s vision of the comfortable cruiser leads back to a center cockpit design.