Chance 42
Description
The Chance 42 (also listed as CHANCE 42/36) is a performance-oriented sailboat designed by renowned American naval architect Britton Chance (Britton Chance Jr.), known for his innovative work on America's Cup yachts, 5.5m class racers, and IOR-influenced designs in the 1970s. Introduced in 1974, it appears to have been a limited or semi-custom build (likely very few hulls produced, as it's rare in listings and databases—no mass production like the Wauquiez Chance 37), optimized as an IOR racer/cruiser with a focus on speed, stiffness, and balanced handling in varied conditions. It features a long waterline relative to its rated length (hence the "/36" designation for IOR measurement), fin keel with spade rudder, and masthead sloop rig—prioritizing upwind performance and reaching ability while offering decent cruising comfort for its era.
Construction Details
| Designer | Britton Chance, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Length | 42.170 ft |
| LOA | 42.170 ft |
| LWL | 36.250 ft |
| Beam | 12.000 ft |
| Displacement | 18000 lb |
| Ballast | 8500 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1974 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53.90 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.75 ft |
| p | 48.60 ft |
| e | 12.60 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.90 ft | 16.75 ft | 48.60 ft | 12.60 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Chance 42 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 48.6 ft - (14813 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.6 ft - (3840 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.66 ft - (15136 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.78 ft - (15173 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 305.88 ft² |
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Chance 42 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 45.15 ft - (13762 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.08 ft - (6730 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.39 ft - (12006 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.26 ft - (5870 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 434.87 ft² |
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Chance 42 - GENOA
| Luff | * 53.62 ft - (16343 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 26.96 ft - (8217 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.53 ft - (15402 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 673.58 ft² |
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Chance 42 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 53.62 ft - (16343 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 30.15 ft - (9190 mm) |
| Foot | * 30.15 ft - (9190 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1374.15 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.
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