The future of the 40 footer by: Patrick Lane

The first 40 footer I ever sailed on was a Newport 41. Designed by C&C and built in Southern California by Capital Yachts. It was a poor man's C&C 40. The wheel was small but almost impossible to cross behind to go forward.  It had wide side decks and a pinched in stern. The winches were HUGE in order to handle the large foretriangle. The interior was Spartan to say the least with 50's interior styling and plywood floors. The chainplates were through bolted in the plywood bulkheads. The chainplates were run through the deck  and sealed with a gasket and some sealant. The real C&C 40 had upgraded components but the construction was basically the same.

Now you can say that this was a long time ago and boats have changed a lot but after coming back from the Annapolis Boat Show 2012, I could see that the methods haven't changed all that much.  I still saw chainplates being cut through the deck and attached below. Some were attached to stringers instead of bulkheads and some were attached to bulkheads made of wood.

There are actually boats that have wheels too large to get around. Some manufacturers have gone to two wheels and open transoms to make access forward much easier. There are some small daysailers with self- tending  jibs  and small foretriangles  and some larger boats sport self tending jibs. Some manufacturers attach their shrouds outboard which makes access to the foredeck difficult.

In the old days a pinched stern left a crew bereft of room to move around and made the boat difficult to handle with a following sea. I saw some modern boats that had sterns so large you could drive a car into. The cockpits were so large and open , you would need a helper to pass the chips and dips. Cockpit tables the size of an eight place dining room set on one side , not even on the center line.

Almost all the interiors (some of which I represent) reminded me of an IKEA designer gone wild. Wide beams abounded so when you lost your grip in a seaway you would fall FOREVER to the low side. There were some grab-rails around but not many.

Here's another point: When I first started sailing the boats leaked when sailed hard. They moved and groaned so much that they couldn't help but leak: through the ports, the hatches, the chainplates, the coring on the decks got soaked when the chainplates leaked and some nearly new boats had to be sent back to the factory for repairs.

 The new boats still leak. They're boats, they live in the water.

I would like a 40 footer that was fast, easily sailed by me alone, with a classic interior, a walk through transom with two wheels (like the new boats) but here's the rub: I want a boat that has such a high build quality that when I invite guests or just relax with a glass of red, I feel proud. When I go out in the big ditch by myself or with friends I want to be able to reach everything, trim everything and just plain feel confident about the boat and in myself.

Here's another itch that needs attention. I want a boat that actually performs. I need a boat that I can sail on Wednesday nights around the buoys with an easily launched large genoa or Code 0 that is competitive. I don't want a stripped out race boat (remember that glass of red). Give me an interior to live with that looks and feels like a sailboat, something I can stand up in and cook in while on autopilot.

Did I see this boat in Annapolis? Nope!

Does this boat exist? 

Not yet!

I can only hope.

click for Pat's profile