BoatsCal Boats 40

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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 240
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.4
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

What the fleet has seen

The Cal Boats 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Cal Boats 40, designed by C. William Lapworth and built by Jensen Marine from 1963 to 1971, is a masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, measuring 12.0 m LOA, 3.4 m beam, 1.7 m draft, and displacing 6803 kg.3:05 It was a commercially successful racing boat, with 160 units built. The Cal 40 is considered one of the most influential designs and successful racing boats ever, known for its high performance. A single raised deck variant was also produced.8:47 Aboard "Be The Captain," James Evenson distinguishes Jensen-era Cal 40s as high-quality boats.10:18 He also includes the Cal 40 among ten bluewater-capable sailboats priced under $50,000, noting its fin keel and spade rudder contribute to high performance.3:05 Howard Clayman, an American Sailing instructor, raced a Cal 40 named *Shamrock* in California during his 40-year sailing career.5:24

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 5 times across 5 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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 weighed buying one

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.

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
Sail repairs sewing our Genoa with our Sailrite LSZ-1from Epiphany Sailing
Dufour Yachts 39 CC11.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Mortain & Mavrikios-designed center cockpit cruiser balancing a stable 1.88m draft with a nimble 7,080kg displacement
Dufour 39 with more space for your moneyfrom SEILmagasinet
Tartan Marine 39512.04 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2019 production performance cruiser featuring a spade rudder and a 1.88-metre draft for balanced coastal handling
Which Boats Are Easy to Sail? 7 Features That Matter10:12from Practical Sailor
Puma 38-K12.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, offering a spirited sail area-to-displacement ratio
111. Boats of the past and boats of the future.58:48from A Son de Mar
Warrior 4012.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA cutter-rigged cruiser with a skeg-hung rudder and a 1.52m draft, built for steady offshore passages
BOAT FLIES OVER TABLE MOUNTAINfrom Adventures of an old Seadog
Arcona 40011.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre performance cruiser with a deep 2.4-metre bulb keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.
Nils Eldby - the extreme weather went better than feared11:44from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

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, favoured 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

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Cal Boats 40, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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