Bristol Yachts 40

BoatsBristol Yachts 40

See her sail

The Bristol Yachts 40, 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 heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 37 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 37

CoastalBluewater

At 1.66 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.66

LightHeavy

376 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 376

EasygoingPowered-up

15.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.4

TenderStiff

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

Ballast 37%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

What the fleet has seen

The Bristol Yachts 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Bristol Yachts 40 is a 12.2-meter masthead sloop designed by Ted Hood and built by Bristol Yachts from 1970 to 1986, with 149 hulls produced. This modified full keel cruiser, nearly identical to the earlier Bristol 39, features a solid fiberglass hull and an encapsulated lead keel. Designed to the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rulebook, the Bristol 40 has long overhangs and a narrow 3.3-meter beam, causing it to heel quickly and require early reefing.4:05 Its 7974 kg displacement and 1.6-meter draft contribute to a stable, sea-kindly motion offshore, though its positive riding moment is lower than modern wide-body cruisers.6:41 Owners should expect maintenance common to 40- to 50-year-old vessels, including potential deck-core moisture, chainplate fatigue, and aging electrical or plumbing systems.5:46 The interior volume is modest, and the aperture-mounted propeller can make close-quarters maneuvering challenging.8:11 The model was available as a cutter or yawl, with a Westerbeke Diesel as an option.8:30

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

On the water

The Bristol Yachts 40 on video

Bristol 40 for $40,000 - Can You Make it Work?Practical Sailor

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

37.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

15.4

Displacement / length

375.7

Comfort ratio

36.7

Capsize screening

1.66

Hull speed

7.0 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1058

Hull

Hull type

Modified Full Keel

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1970–1986

Units built

149

Designer

Ted Hood

Builder

Bristol Yachts Inc

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.

Seafarer Yachts 38C11.51 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA versatile cruiser available in multiple rig configurations and often sold in kit form for owner completion

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Alberg 3711.33 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA long-keeled masthead sloop produced for two decades with a transition from wood-heavy interiors to moulded fiberglass

Carl Alberg’s Family Sailboat for the Ocean - Alberg 371:35 from Practical Sailor

Downeaster 3811.58 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA 1974-era cutter with a 35.4 comfort ratio, built for stable, long-distance voyaging on a heavy-displacement hull

Why Sailors Still Want This Slow Old Cruiser – Down East 38 from Practical Sailor

Shannon Yachts 38 PH11.51 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA long-keeled cutter designed by Stadel for offshore stability, offering a comfortable motion and steady passage-making

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Cabo Rico 3811.58 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Tiburon 36, offering a heavy-displacement cutter platform for stable blue-water sailing

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Mariah 3111.28 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA heavy-displacement cutter designed by Henry Mohrschladt with a long keel and a signature extended bowsprit

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The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Bristol Yachts 39A 1966 masthead sloop with a long keel, built for five years as a precursor to the long-running Bristol 40 Bristol Yachts 41.1A masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centreboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models Bristol Yachts 32A Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a modified full keel, built for steady, comfortable cruising over two decades Bristol Yachts 47.7A 14.33-metre semi-custom cruiser featuring a traditional counter stern and a deep 3.35-metre keel-centreboard draught Bristol Yachts 31.1A 1983 masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, optimised for a stable, comfortable coastal pace Bristol Yachts 35.5A long-running production cruiser with a 43% ballast ratio, designed for a stiff and stable coastal sailing experience

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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