BoatsOvni 40

Ovni 40

Cutter · Lifting Keel · 1984–1987

A 12.6-metre cutter with a high 25.21 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for agile performance during her 1984-1987

Designed by Philippe Briand, built by Chantiers Alubat.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Lifting Keel

See her sail

The Ovni 40, on the water

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

Footage from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draftDraws 0.70 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

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

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.13
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 217
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 25.2
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

  • Beamier than ~87% of boats her size on file

Compared with 267 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Ovni 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Ovni 40 is a 12.6-meter aluminum cutter designed by Philippe Briand and built by Chantiers Alubat from 1984 to 1987. It features a lifting keel, a 4.3-meter beam, a 2.3-meter draft, and a displacement of 8499 kg. A delivery crew aboard an Ovni 40 transited from Galle, Sri Lanka, to Phuket, Thailand, motor-sailing through light winds and high-pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal. The crew maintained a watch schedule and monitored engine performance, including oil levels, impeller condition, and hydraulic steering. They managed high ambient temperatures affecting electronics and evaluated fuel reserves for the passage to Phuket.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

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
42.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
25.2
Displacement / length
216.8
Comfort ratio
23.7
Capsize screening
2.13
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1704
Hull
Hull type
Lifting Keel
Construction
Aluminum
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1984–1987
Designer
Philippe Briand
Builder
Chantiers Alubat, Alubat

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.

Ovni 37011.95 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA modern lifting-keel cruiser with a versatile Solent rig, designed for shallow-water access and offshore capability
ARGENTINA MAKING PICTURES ONCE AGAIN - SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY THAT EXPORTS | Ep. 85 - Chez Team23:26from Chez Team
Southerly 11010.82 mSame hull family1.8 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel that allows for shallow-water exploration and drying out
Southerly 110from SVN solovelanet
Boreal Yachts 4714.55 mSame hull family2.0 m longerA 14.55-metre aluminum cutter with a 2.48-metre draft, optimized for high-latitude stability and blue-water performance
Ski and sail in the Lyngen area2:52from SEILmagasinet
Southerly 42012.86 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a versatile swing keel that later evolved into the Southerly 430
Beaching a Southerly 420:13from Distant Shores TV
Garcia Yachts Exploration 4514.88 mSame hull family2.3 m longerA rugged aluminum cutter by Berret-Racoupeau featuring a centerboard and dual rudders for high-latitude exploration
We found OUR NEXT BOAT... but there is only one PROBLEM $$$ [Ep.93] The Bohemian Journey2:32from El Viaje de Bohemia
Morgan Yachts 3811.48 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA short-run masthead sloop produced from 1969 to 1971, featuring a keel-centerboard hull for versatile draft
Motion Comfort Ratio Explained (And How to Calculate It)from All About Sailing

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.

Ovni 41A 13-metre cutter with a 21.07 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for high-performance offshore explorationOvni 36A Philippe Briand-designed aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, built for versatile shoal-draft explorationOvni 39A 12-metre masthead sloop with a lifting keel, balancing a 44% ballast ratio for stability in offshore conditionsOvni 435A 12.9-metre aluminum cutter with a lifting keel, optimized for offshore stability and shoal-water explorationOvni 455A 14.95-metre aluminum cutter with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, engineered for agile, long-range explorationOvni 30A Philippe Briand-designed aluminum lifting-keel sloop built for shoal-draft exploration and offshore versatility

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