BoatsC&C Yachts 42 Custom

C&C Yachts 42 Custom

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1976

A 1976 custom masthead sloop with a deep 2.13-meter draft and fin keel, built for performance-oriented offshore sailing

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The C&C Yachts 42 Custom, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

1.91 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

222 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 222
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.2

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws more than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2626 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The C&C Yachts 42 Custom, as the fleet has seen it

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

The C&C Yachts 42 CUSTOM is a Masthead Sloop, Fin w/spade rudder sailboat designed by C&C Design and built by C&C Yachts from 1976 to the present. It has an LOA of 12.9 meters, a beam of 3.9 meters, a draft of 2.1 meters, and a displacement of 9071 kg. The C&C 40, a related model, was produced from 1978 to 1983 as a dual-purpose racer-cruiser with a 39.6-foot hull and a deep seven-foot keel.4:30 Its design, from the International Offshore Rule (IOR) era, features a conservative hull shape that remains competitive for club racing.4:56 The interior includes a U-shaped galley and a teak and holly cabin sole, though it is described as dark.7:56 Owners frequently modify these boats for cruising by adding Solent stays for storm sails, increasing fuel capacity with bladders, and upgrading electrical systems.8:49 The deep draft limits shallow-water cruising, but the boat offers high-performance sailing.6:33

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The C&C Yachts 42 Custom on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.2
Displacement / length
222.2
Comfort ratio
27.9
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1581
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Designer
C&C Design
Builder
C&C 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.

Baltic Yachts 4212.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1970s masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, sharing its hull design with the C&C 42 Custom
The WORST Listings I’ve Ever Seen (15 MASSIVE Sailboat Red Flags)2:22from Be The Captain
Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch featuring an aft cockpit layout and a 1.6-metre draft for versatile coastal and offshore cruising
The MIGHTY But CHEAP Pearson 424from Practical Sailor
Grand Soleil 40 (Polli)12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Matteo Polli-designed fractional sloop optimized for ORC competition with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Sailing Alone in Fog Without Losing Your Cool11:09from The Mariner
Beneteau Oceanis 43012.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser with a high comfort ratio, also produced as the Moorings 432 charter variant
The Reality of Getting This Boat Ready - Ep. 274from Sailing Zephyr
Dufour Yachts 425 Grand Large12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-meter fractional sloop with a 2.1-meter bulb keel, optimized for a stable 8.13-knot hull speed
Dufour 425 Grand Large Boat Tour | Our home at seafrom Sailing Blue Prince
Sirius 40 DS12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre fractional sloop built since 2015, offering a deep 2.3-metre draft for performance and stability
Sailing West in the English Channel Isn’t Easy Ep 493:51from Sailing Northern Brees

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.

C&C Yachts 51 CustomA powerful 15-meter masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard configuration for versatile performance in deep waterC&C Yachts 36RA performance-oriented masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, optimized for competitive racingC&C Yachts 41A Robert Ball-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a high sail area-to-displacement ratioC&C Yachts 40-2 ACA performance-oriented masthead sloop from 1977 featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive handling

Keep asking

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