BoatsBavaria Yachts 40 (J&J)

Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J)

Fractional Sloop · Fin Keel w/bulb · First built 2000

A popular charter-trade cruiser from 2000, offering a balanced 18.88 SA/D ratio and a 1.95-metre bulb keel

Designed by J&J Yacht Design.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel w/bulb

See her sail

The Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J), on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Patrick Laine

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

2.01 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

169 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 169
EasygoingPowered-up

18.9 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.9
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J), as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J) is a fractional sloop with a fin keel and bulb, designed by J&J Yacht Design and built by Bavaria Yachts from 2000 to the present. It measures 12.5 meters LOA, with a 4.0-meter beam, 1.9-meter draft, and 7901 kg displacement. The model is popular in the charter trade. Aboard a 1999 Bavaria 40, a crew sailed from Panama to Cape Horn, covering 4,000 miles offshore to avoid upwind beating.0:43 The crew maintained battery charge for 15 days using solar panels and managed 50-knot winds and 5-meter seas, which caused a knockdown and destroyed the spray hood.7:48 The boat used redundant B&G hydraulic and Raymarine sprocket-and-chain drive autopilots.35:11 The crew timed their Cape Horn passage between wave systems and used tethers and harnesses in heavy weather.31:29

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 15 times across 4 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J) on video

Ep 70 Sailing to Cape Horn: Leg 1 - The CanalTransiting the Panama Canal requires a mandatory advisor, while hiring line handlers and agents remains optional.Patrick LaineFastnet 2025 on 82 ft Sailboat (Pt 2)An 82-foot sailboat crew uses flaked lines to prevent jamming during the 2025 Fastnet Race to Cherbourg.Patrick LaineFastnet Race 2025 On 82 Ft Sailboat Part 1The 82-foot Grand Mistral *Osprey* completes the 700-mile Fastnet Race with a crew of six.Patrick LaineEP68 Sailing Bay of Biscay Twice: 1 "usual"; 2 in Gale ConditionsRunning downwind with a furled genoa and no mainsail provides stability in 30-knot gale conditions.Patrick LaineEp 60 Sailing 'North' in my new boatThe 29-foot RM890+ *Jenna* features a wood-epoxy hull, twin exposed rudders, and a square-top mainsail.Patrick LaineEp 53 Sailing Solo : Boring Refit Stuff and NKE autopilot installationInstalling an NKE gyropilot and custom steering bracket on a performance sailboat requires complex sensor calibration.Patrick LaineEP 52 Sailing Solo: My New SailboatA 2009 Bungo 870 undergoes a refit to transition from a regatta-style setup to a solo blue-water cruiser.Patrick LaineEp 47 Prep and Delayed Transat to NewfoundlandUpgrades for a transatlantic passage include a new Albstrom mainsail, Victron MPPT solar controller, and Iridium Go.Patrick LaineEp 35 Sailing Solo Across Bay of Biscay Whale EncounterA solo sailor navigates the Bay of Biscay to La Rochelle while managing wind, waves, and whale encounters.Patrick LaineEp 17 Sailing Solo from The Azores: My Furler Jams at end of 900 NM passageA solo sailor completes a 900-nautical-mile passage from the Azores to Muros, España, aboard the vessel Isabel.Patrick LaineEp 7 Sailing singlehanded to Azores: When I use genoa onlyA singlehanded sailor improves downwind speed and eliminates boom slamming by sailing with genoa only.Patrick LaineMaking the DECISION and undertaking a LIFE CHANGE. Choosing a SAILBOAT.A beginner evaluates a 40-foot 2002 Bavaria for seasonal Mediterranean cruising while navigating Schengen visa limitations.navegandoporelglobo

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • FailedHarken

    The speaker criticized the design of a plastic plate with set screws in a furler, which failed when overtensioned by an electric winch.

    aboard Patrick Laineseen March 20266:11

  • InstalledVolvo

    The boat has a brand new Volvo engine and sterndrive, recently installed and approaching its first service.

    aboard Hashtag Salseen July 202314:14

  • WorkingRaymarinealongside BNG

    The boat uses a Raymarine autopilot with a sprocket and chain system as one of its two independent systems.

    aboard Patrick Laineseen March 202635:11

  • WorkingNavionics

    The speaker mentioned using Navionics as their navigation software for the trip.

    aboard Patrick Laineseen March 202615:02

  • WorkingSelden

    The speaker noted that their in-mast furling system, like others, has a bolt rope groove for a full-size, full-batten mainsail.

    aboard Patrick Laineseen March 202611:25

  • WorkingNavily

    The speaker mentions using Navily for finding anchorages, noting its utility alongside other technology.

    aboard navegandoporelgloboseen October 20227:02

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J) may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale
1seen sold
2channels looked into buying

For sale

  • The specific Bavaria 40 toured in the video is available for sale at an interesting price

    from Hashtag Salseen July 2023watch

Sold

Weighed buying

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.9
Displacement / length
169.1
Comfort ratio
23.7
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1664
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel w/bulb
Construction
FG w/Divinicell above waterline
Production
Years built
First built 2000
Designer
J&J Yacht Design
Builder
Bavaria Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Oceanis 41 (Beneteau)12.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop featuring a wide 4.2-meter beam and a modern hull form optimized for cruising
Bruno Baqueiro: hardships in high latitudes2:04from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Solaris 4212.36 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.36-metre fractional sloop with a 2.5-metre draft and a 19.88 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for balanced performance
SAILING THE ADRIATIC SEA3:32from Adventures of an old Seadog
Beneteau First 40512.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performance
Is the Caribbean Becoming Too Dangerous for Cruisers?21:54from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Bavaria Yachts Match 4212.55 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.55-metre IMS competition racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a deep 2.15-metre bulb keel
Martin Borg is sailing the Skagen Race again0:49from SEILmagasinet
Dehler Yachts 41 CR12.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented fractional sloop with a 37% ballast ratio, designed by Judel/Vrolijk for efficient cruising
Skagen Race 2025: Fresh beat towards Skagen1:31from SEILmagasinet
Linjett 4012.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA decade-long production run defines this 12-metre performance cruiser, balancing a 44% ballast ratio for stiff sailing
TEST: Linjett 360:09from SEILmagasinet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Bavaria Yachts 39A 12-meter fractional sloop with a 2.0-meter draft and a 37.8% ballast ratio, built for stability and cruising speedBavaria Yachts 40 VisionA 12.7-metre cruiser featuring a 1.75-metre draft and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performanceBavaria Yachts Cruiser 39A high-performance fractional sloop with a 20.61 SA/displacement ratio, designed for speed and ease of handlingBavaria Yachts 41A 1995 fractional sloop with a high 23.59 SA/D ratio, designed for performance-oriented cruisingBavaria Yachts Cruiser 40 (Farr)A Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop balancing performance and cruising comfort with a stiff fin-and-bulb keel

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J), or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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