Cal Boats 40
Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1963–1971
A legendary offshore racer with 160 built, featuring a light displacement and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Designed by C. William Lapworth, built by Jensen Marine.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Fin w/spade Rudder
See her sail
The Cal Boats 40, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from LIFE ON THE WATER
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
LivelyComfort 29Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.79Bluewater
LightD/L 240Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 18.4Powered-up
TenderBallast 40%Stiff
Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 3 times across 3 channels of the fleet.
On the water
The Cal Boats 40 on video
Also on YouTube
Who's been looking
Market signal
Crews the fleet has filmed weighing this model up — no sale seen, and no asking price.
1channel looked into buying
Inspected for possible purchase, but passed due to uncomfortable sailing characteristics.
from LIFE ON THE WATERseen July 20262:11
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
40.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.4
Displacement / length
240.0
Comfort ratio
28.8
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
7.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1192
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1963–1971
Units built
108
Designer
C. William Lapworth
Builder
Jensen Marine, Cal Boats
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.
Sadler Yachts 3811.79 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Stephen Jones-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance cruising.
RM Yachts 118011.80 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Marc Lombard-designed performance cruiser featuring a wide beam, dual rudders, and a powerful cutter rig
C&C Yachts 3911.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1971-1974 production masthead sloop with a moderate displacement-to-length ratio, balanced for coastal cruising
Sabre Yachts 38 MKII11.79 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 1988-1995 production cruiser with a 1.98m draft and a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
O'day 4012.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre masthead sloop featuring an extended sugar scoop stern and a taller rig on later production models
Beneteau Oceanis 4012.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA spacious fractional sloop from Berret-Racoupeau featuring a versatile optional shallow draft keel
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.
Cal Boats 43A rare, short-lived production model from 1971 featuring a masthead rig and a performance-oriented fin keelCal Boats 48A 48-foot masthead sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for offshore speed between 1966 and 1970Cal Boats 34A masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, favored by Jensen Marine founder Jack Jensen for personal cruisingCal 39Introduced just before the IOR rule shift, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and rudder on a skegCal Boats 24The inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatilityCal Boats 2-46Featuring a midships engine room and expanded living quarters, this 46-foot cruiser prioritizes interior volume
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