BoatsMelges 40

Melges 40

Fractional Sloop · Fin Keel w/bulb · First built 2017

A high-performance Botin-designed racer featuring a powerful sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a deep, bulb-weighted keel

Designed by Botin Partners, built by Premier.

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

See her sail

The Melges 40, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

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 narrow beam gives 11 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 11
CoastalBluewater

At 2.41 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.41
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 66
EasygoingPowered-up

56.2 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 56.2
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

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

  • Lighter than ~93% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~100% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2875 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Melges 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Melges 40 is a Botin Partners-designed fractional sloop built by Premier and Melges Performance Sailboats from 2017 to the present. It features a fin keel with a 100 kg fin and 1100 kg bulb, and a canting keel that moves 45 degrees.16:25 The boat measures 11.99 m LOA, 3.53 m beam, and 3.20 m draft, with a displacement of 3250 kg. Its sail plan includes a 72.00 m2 mainsail, a 49.00 m2 jib, and a 200.0 m2 gennaker.16:02 The Melges 40 is an ISO Structural Category B vessel. It is considered a performance boat, fitting into a 40-foot racing class in Palma, Mallorca, alongside models like the GP42, HH42, and Fast 40+.16:02 This class aims to offer competitive racing under ORC rules for local regattas such as Palma Vela and Copa del Rey.13:56

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
56.2
Displacement / length
66.2
Comfort ratio
11.4
Capsize screening
2.41
Hull speed
8.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1507
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel w/bulb
Construction
epoxy infused carbon & foam core
Production
Years built
First built 2017
Designer
Botin Partners
Builder
Premier, Melges Performance Sailboats

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.

Beneteau First 36 SE11.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2025 performance cruiser featuring a lightweight 4,349kg displacement and a high 30.63 sail-area-to-displacement ratio
First 36 SE: Cruiser for regattasfrom SEILmagasinet
Beneteau First 3611.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern performance cruiser by Samuel Manuard featuring dual rudders and a high 28.68 sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Throwback to 2023: First trip to boot0:21from SEILmagasinet
Viko S 3512.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-meter fractional sloop with a 1.95-meter fin keel and bulb, designed for modern performance and coastal cruising
An Italian Go Fast Sailboat - The Viko S 35 | Boat Tour0:45from Practical Sailor
Faurby 39311.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA slender, performance-oriented fractional sloop with a high ballast ratio for stability in a narrow, easily driven hull
ALMA Globe 5.80 Boat Tour: Niels Kamphuis | 163 Biggest Monkey NL - follow CG580 Youtube for more0:39from Golden Globe Race Official
Farr Phase 412.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a fin keel, bulb, and spade rudder
Sailing 900NM Along The Viking Route to Greenland with @59NorthSailing on a Farr 65 Sailboat0:28from Sailing Triteia
RM Yachts 126011.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthBuilt with a plywood-epoxy hull, this 12-meter cruiser balances a powerful 24.37 SA/D ratio with shoal-draft versatility
LE PAVOIS DE LA ROCHELLE: disappointed!7:32from VOILIER ODIN

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.

Melges 24A 7.32-meter sportboat with a lifting keel and a 32.09 sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for rapid planing

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