Charter Class 40 yacht and rule |
 The Akilaria 40, Mowgli at the finish in Cape Town during the Portimao Global Ocean Race
Class 40 is a box rule that was devised in France by a group of sailors, designers and other interested parties including builders and the journalist/Vendee Globe veteran Patrice Carpentier, with the purpose of creating a new 'short-handed' offshore racing class. Depending on the event boats are raced single handed, double handed or fully crewed. Fully crewed in terms of Class 40 Association events means a limit of five while crew number in other regattas are limited by individual NOR’s. The intention of the association is that the class should be international and encourages the participation of sailors from all over the world. By July 2009 the growth of the class has been spectacular. There are over one hundred boats in existence, over ninety registered with the class, of which the majority are now owned outside of France. The class was given ISAF recognition in 2009 and held its first official Class Worlds in Hamble, UK in August 2009. The rule itself is based primarily on a minimum displacement, maximum length, draft, beam and sail area. Other limitations include ones on materials, appendage type, stability and ballast. Class 40 should not be confused with Open 40, which is an unrestricted race boat type that allows canting keels and carbon fibre in hull and deck structure. Class 40’s are limited to three appendages, may not have canting keels and can be built out of nothing more exotic than non pre-preg glass fibre and PVC foam. Masts, booms and bowsprits are carbon fibre but composite cables may only be used on fore and aft rigging, side stays must be rod or wire.
All boats must be constructed and fitted out to a minimum of Category 1 while boats intending to enter the Portimao Global Ocean Race must comply with Category 0. The aim of the rule is to more closely define the scope for designers and builders in order to limit the cost of the boats and make them affordable to a much wider group of sailors. In this way the association believes that it will be possible for the class to grow in much the same way as Classe Mini. That is to say, with a mixture of sponsored and non-sponsored series produced and prototype boats. Class 40 is intended to be a ‘broad church’ with some sailors wanting to race predominantly offshore in classics such as the Route de Rhum and Transat races. Others meanwhile will determine to stick to mainly coastal and inshore events that already exist or future events to be run by the class association. At least initially Class 40 and Open 40 co-exist in events such as the Portimao Global Ocean Race and the Route de Rhum, but few Open 40’s are able to qualify as Class 40’s. By 2009, Class 40 has become in the same way as the Mini Transat, by far the dominant offshore short-handed racing class in its length.
To download class documents such as copy of the class rules go to: Class Downloads
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