Cal 40
Description
The Cal 40 is an iconic American racer-cruiser sailboat designed by C. William Lapworth. Built by Jensen Marine (Cal Yachts) from 1963 to 1971, approximately 156 hulls were produced. It revolutionized offshore racing with its lightweight fin keel and spade rudder for superior speed and handling, solid hand-laid fiberglass construction, and a masthead sloop rig that dominated fleets like the Transpac and SORC in the 1960s–70s (winning 67 of 70 races entered in its first year). Renowned for its blistering performance (SA/D ~20), balanced motion in 15–25 knots, and seaworthiness on ocean passages, it's a timeless bluewater-capable design for racing or family cruising.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Lapworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jensen Marine (USA) |
| Length | 39.833 ft |
| LOA | 39.833 ft |
| LWL | 32.000 ft |
| Beam | 10.833 ft |
| Displacement | 1650 lb |
| Ballast | 6600 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.750 ft |
| Year Built | 1963 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 46 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15.17 ft |
| p | 40 ft |
| e | 17.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 ft | 15.17 ft | 40 ft | 17.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Cal 40 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.86 ft - (13064 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 43.1 ft - (13137 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 359.22 ft² |
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Cal 40 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 38.75 ft - (11811 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.2 ft - (6157 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.48 ft - (10205 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.45 ft - (5319 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 338.08 ft² |
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Cal 40 - GENOA
| Luff | 44.75 ft - (13640 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 134.94 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.47 ft - (6239 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.28 ° |
| Area | * 457.91 ft² |
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Cal 40 - GENOA
| Luff | 45 ft - (13716 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20.5 ft - (6248 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 125.58 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.05 ft - (5806 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.42 ° |
| Area | * 428.66 ft² |
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Cal 40 - GENOA
| Luff | 46.02 ft - (14027 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.59 ft - (7495 mm) |
| Leech | * 43.19 ft - (13164 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.76 ft - (6937 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 523.67 ft² |
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Cal 40 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 46.02 ft - (14027 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 27.31 ft - (8324 mm) |
| Foot | * 27.31 ft - (8324 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1068 ft² |
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Cal 40 - STAYSAIL
| Luff | 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Leech | 29.75 ft - (9068 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.98 ft - (3347 mm) |
| Area | * 178.37 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Cal 40 - STAYSAIL
| Luff | 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Leech | 29.75 ft - (9068 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.98 ft - (3347 mm) |
| Area | * 178.37 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.