40 ft racing sailboat

Class 40 Sailing: First Impressions

• June 2nd, 2016
• Sailing Yacht

Now that some 4 weeks passed by since I´ve had my fist real offshore sailing experience with a Class 40 sailing yacht and with having gained some distance to that trip I am trying to sum up my experiences and bundle testimonies of my fellow crew mates to have a thorough review of what it is like to sail a Pogo 40. You may read the cruise report of the first leg here  and of the second leg under Gennaker here  .

First of all: Looking at the boat is an experience by itself. Being accustomed to the view onto classic yachts, seeing this compact, flat hull with its extra-wide stern is amazing. This hull seemingly promises to go fast by its looks alone. My heartbeat went faster upon arrival at the mooring and it was the same with the other crew members. Let´s board the ship and have a look around.

Rigging and Cockpit Layout of a Class 40

A Class 40 is made for single handed and double handing racing. That means first of all that all ropes and lines must be guided in a way that they could be worked upon from the cockpit. Which is done beautifully in the Pogo 40: All halyards run down within the massive carbon mast or over the cabin roof and through jammers and can thus easily be unlocked, brought on to the winch and worked with. Only for hoisting and reefing of the mainsail somebody has to proceed midship to the mast.

When sailing single or double handed – above all in race situations – maneuvers have to be carried out with speed. To assure this, everything has to be within reach of one person: And it is indeed! There is a sheet winch on either side of the cockpit, well within reach with the one mainsheet winch on the center-housing for the life raft. This winch can operate both sheets of jib and Genoa as well as the backstays which also run through spinlocks.

Traveller sheets end in spinlocks right vis-à-vis the mainsheet winch. So, in theory a lone sailor could handle all the running rigging alone. Which of course is proven by a dozen of single hand sailors on Class 40 yachts all over the oceans. Although the cockpit is with its 4.50 meters extremely wide, ways from winch to winch and to the tiller helms are very short. The timeframe from changing conditions to a reaction can thus be made very short.

Of course, our Pogo 40 was equipped with Lazy Jacks to have the ritual of taking down the main sail made as easy as possible, though I can state by my own experience that both hoisting these 70 square meters of canvas and taking them down properly was extremely hard work: I can barely imagine doing this all alone. Thank god electric winches are invented. I felt at home in our Pogo´s cockpit and after a few hours manning the different stations was a no brainer. Again: Being responsible for the whole ship alone should be trained very thoroughly. A Class 40 is far away from being a no frills boat control wise.

Class 40 Sailing: Fast Planing like a Rocket

That was something I was looking forward to the most when booking a cruise on this boat. After having done the interview with Sven, co-owner of SY KNUBBEL, a Pogo 12.50 (which can be read here ) I was impatiently waiting for that sensation when the hull does overcome the boundaries of the wave system and sails faster than her theoretical maximum hull speed. So, all hands on deck, hoist all sails-ho! And tell me now what´s this planing like?

“Planing is when this constant gurgling and bubbling at the stern suddenly stops and is substituted by a smooth Swoosh….- like sound”, tells Sven when I was asking him. Sitting at the helm of POGO 1 beating upwind with 11 to 12 knots I am shouting to the skipper: “Capt´n, at which speed will she start planing?” “We already are – it needs 8 knots”. And yes, looking aft in our wake I notice a white trail indicating the gliding of our hull. It´s just an awesome feeling!

Maintaining control over the ship´s bearing is easy: The Pogo 40 is equipped with twin rudders in such an arrangement that even when heeled extremely the lee-rudder will have full steering capabilities. There was never too much pressure on the rudders though we didn´t have had to cope with too severe gales or swell conditions. It felt quite easy to trim her course by giving rudder – she reacts very vivid and instantly to even smallest corrections. Steering whilst planing? No difference to the classic way of sailing.

Speaking of heeling: The Pogo 40 needs heeling. This process assures the exposure of a smallest possible wetted surface under water thus reducing resistance. She sails very stable even when heeled extremely to up to 40 degrees and I never had the impression of being unsafe. Roaming about on deck when heeled is tricky: It´s wet and slippery, there are ropes virtually everywhere and – when sailing with a crew of five – even a 4.50 meters wide cockpit can easily become cramped.

A truly unique experience was sailing under Gennaker (which can be read in detail here ). The Class 40 is trimmed to go downwind – and she will go as fast as hell! Fastest speed on our POGO 1 in light conditions has been 14 knots, our skipper told us of occasionally exceeding speeds of 20 knots easily. Again: This is a racing machine and riding this stallion must be done only by experienced skippers and crews. She´s definitely not a boat for the rookie.

The Beauty of Sailing a Class 40

Nevertheless, counting myself to the rookie side and looking at how my fellow crew mates managed their jobs on board – all of them with far more experience in sailing than me – with a good skipper sailing on a Class 40 is both exciting, full of adventure and thrilling on the one hand and filled with beauty and grace on the other. Seeing the Class 40 under all canvas, accelerating to full speed and starting to plane filles me with pure joy.

It is barely imaginable that any sailing vessel can sail faster than these kind of boats. I was puzzled when we were overtaking another sailing yacht going at full speed with engine in a matter of minutes, doing our 50 miles in less than 6 hours with light winds. Although it´s a frightening idea but I´d love to be sailing with a Pogo 40 when things get a bit rougher. Well … there are some cruises offered on the Pogo 40 in September. This do get rough in September … This yacht let endorphins flow to the liters, people do have a constant grin on their faces for it is extremely satisfying to sail on a Class 40. Going fast is satisfying: Who wouldn´t trade his VW Golf for a Porsche? I felt constrained to compare the beauty of these boats to the grace of the old square rigged Clipper ships, which might be a sacrilege, but thinking of it there are so much similarities to these fastest sailing vessels of forgotten times.

“She sails wet.”, said skipper Thomas when conducting the safety briefing. There was some water coming down the companionway indeed, but I read reviews of real tough regattas and saw pictures of saloons full of water, soaked cushion and no dry place left whatsoever. As well a frightening prospect, but hell, this must be an awesome experience!

Reviewing a Class 40 Interior

Down below a Class 40 like the Pogo 40 is a true miracle regarding space. She is a 40 ft. boat – I personally find 40 feet with more than 12.50 meters huge compared to my 33 ft. King´s Cruiser – but due to her extreme width of 4.50 meters internal space is just huge! Even with 5 adults leaving their berths, brushing teeth, searching for clothes and having a cup of coffee the saloon didn´t felt cramped at all.

The main saloon is dominated by the large navigation station right on the keel in the middle of the cabin. A seat, a rugged laptop, radio and plotter – even by poking one´s head down the companionway all essential data could be grabbed at once. Down the cabin in the middle is a big fridge and the large folding table which makes dining even with a big crew easy.

Due to the fact that this is a high performance yacht you shouldn´t expect panels or veneers: Even the massive structural stringers of the underbody structure is clearly visible. Watch your step! There´s an L-settee to the port side, a long settee on the starboard side right after the galley which features a two-fire stove, a large sink and working table.

The Pogo 40 features two aft cabins of which the starboard cabin is large enough for two persons, the port cabin has a berth too is also filled with machinery such as heating, vents and pumps and the main power control. Here a more than bare head is to be found: One can seal off when doing his business by having a curtain applied, but again: No doors, no real visual protection and no sound protection at all. It´s a race – not a cruise …

Next to these three possible berths there is more on the port side settees, two persons, another one on the starboard side and – whilst in port – the fore cabin could offer two additional berths. In the end, a crew of 8 persons could find a place to rest while on board but again, that´s just in theory.

When we have been underway with five people – four crew and one skipper – we´ve had two of us in the forepeak, me and another member in the aft cabin, skipper and the last crew member in the saloon berths. Though I didn´t slept on any of the other bunks, I guess I have been lucky indeed having won a berth in the comfortable aft cabin.

To sum it up: The interior won´t appeal to everyone since the isn´t any. Wooden surfaces are limited to galley and folding table, cushion is water proof and so not very cozy (the color being grey does add nothing to create a “ship-like” atmosphere as well) and there is bare GRP everywhere you look. She´s a pure racer. Oh, is she?

Cruising with a Class 40?

There are more owner cruising with their boats than serious racers. You can do cruising with these boats: They have everything needed. This ship is large enough to have provisions and fuel for Blue Water passages, more than enough space and – above all – it will bring you faster to the destinations of your dreams or – being fast above all – allows to stay longer because of reduced sailing time. I guess, a Pogo-concept of fast sailing does correlate with a French sailing philosophy (which I tried to look into here  by interviewing Charly Fernbach of Pogo structures and naval designer-legend Marc Lombard).

If one can adapt to this bare and uncomplicated style of sailing by actively abstaining from luxury I would say yeah, cruising with a Class 40 can be done and should be done! Why wasting precious time on lame old fashioned cruisers? Why not prowl the oceans with speed, arrive early and spend more time? Well, I guess it´s because these days a classy wooden Hallberg-Rassy interior has its fans still – and besides, controlling a yacht like the Pogo 40, going wet and fast with extreme heeling is prospect of asking too much of the ordinary family skipper.

Looking at the sparse interior fitting – even when thinking of replacing the faux water proof leather of the cushion by a friendlier, fresher color, it´s still hard to envision myself and my family going on a long cruise (even a short one) in this boat. Well, envisioning myself I can, but the family … Nevertheless, there are reports of some families doing exactly this.

And the more I think about it – given that I can build up more and more competence and sailing abilities over time – this idea becomes attractive and tempting to dream of ever more. I just love this no-frills-approach to sailing (apart from the not-so-no-frills demand of the boat to be controlled with aplomb), this clean, white, bare surfaces. No wooden panels to care about, easy to maintain and clean, no doors, no portholes – no frills.

I fell in love …

And with all these no frills-commodities, there comes so much joy, so much adventure, so much fun. So much demanding in this boat and – which is most attractive I would say – so much gain in reachable distance! Going faster than 10 knots at virtually any time increases the range of activities extremely: Going faster could mean to reach more distant places or reach more places in the same time. Fascinating. And, sadly enough, unreachable for me (and totally impractical as well). But there´s a solution: Simply by booking another cruise on these fantastic sailing machines.

An alternative for owners who seriously consider to get a Class 40 could be the smaller yet comparable Class 9.50 racer of which some interesting boats are on the market, or – very interesting indeed – a Beneteau Figaro II. A sailing yacht legend of which I am going to publish a couple or articles in the near future.

Bottom line: Class 40 sailing has opened my eyes and thinking back to the wonderful 110 miles aboard POGO 1 still thrills me.

Thanks to Ole Macke for these wonderful Pictures

• New Sailboats
• Sailboats 21-30ft
• Sailboats 31-35ft
• Sailboats 36-40ft

Sailboats Over 40ft

• Sailboats Under 21feet
• used_sailboats
• Apps and Computer Programs
• Communications
• Fishfinders
• Handheld Electronics
• Plotters MFDS Rradar
• Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments
• Anchoring Mooring
• Running Rigging
• Sails Canvas
• Standing Rigging
• Diesel Engines
• Off Grid Energy
• Cleaning Waxing
• DIY Projects
• Repair, Tools & Materials
• Spare Parts
• Tools & Gadgets
• Cabin Comfort
• Ventilation
• Footwear Apparel
• Foul Weather Gear
• Mailport & PS Advisor
• Inside Practical Sailor Blog
• Activate My Web Access
• Reset Password
• Customer Service

• Free Newsletter

Blue Jacket 40 Used Boat Review

Catalina 270 vs. The Beneteau First 265 Used Boat Match-Up

Ericson 41 Used Boat Review

Mason 33 Used Boat Review

How to Create a Bullet-Proof VHF/SSB Backup

Tips From A First “Sail” on the ICW

Tillerpilot Tips and Safety Cautions

Best Crimpers and Strippers for Fixing Marine Electrical Connectors

Polyester vs. Nylon Rode

Getting the Most Out of Older Sails

How (Not) to Tie Your Boat to a Dock

Stopping Mainsheet Twist

Fuel Lift Pump: Easy DIY Diesel Fuel System Diagnostic and Repair

Ensuring Safe Shorepower

Sinking? Check Your Stuffing Box

What Do You Do With Old Fiberglass Boats?

Boat Repairs for the Technically Illiterate

Boat Maintenance for the Technically Illiterate

Whats the Best Way to Restore Clear Plastic Windows?

Stopping Holding-tank Odors

Giving Bugs the Big Goodbye

Galley Gadgets for the Cruising Sailor

The Rain Catcher’s Guide

Sailing Gear for Kids

What’s the Best Sunscreen?

UV Clothing: Is It Worth the Hype?

Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing

R. Tucker Thompson Tall Ship Youth Voyage

On Watch: This 60-Year-Old Hinckley Pilot 35 is Also a Working…

On Watch: America’s Cup

On Watch: All Eyes on Europe Sail Racing

Dear Readers

Maine Cat 41 Used Boat Review

Hinckley 49 Used Boat Review

Hallberg-Rassy 42 Used Boat Review

Cal 2-46: A Venerable Lapworth Design Brought Up to Date

Do You Really Need a Bigger Boat?

Beneteau First 42s 7

Beneteau 40.7.

Leadership 44 is Strong, Stiff, and Lightweight

New Boat Review: A Look Inside the New Leadership 44

New Boat Review: Beneteau Oceanis 41

Velux Race Boats Showcase Alternative Energy Options

The Magic of Munroes Sharpies

Practical Sailor new boat review: Hunter 45DS

The Daysailers of Daydreams

New Navy 44 Sail-training Sloop Built to Last

Latest videos.

Cabo Rico 34 Boat Review

Super Shallow Draft Sailboat: The Leeboard Sharpie

Hans Christian 41T – Boat Review

Seven dead after superyacht sinks off Sicily. Was the crew at...

Latest sailboat review.

• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell My Personal Information
• Online Account Activation
• Privacy Manager

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Sailing Totem
• Sailor & Galley
• Living Aboard
• Destinations
• Gear & Electronics
• Charter Resources
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

Best Midsize Cruiser 40-44 Feet

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: December 12, 2017

Winner: Elan GT5

This is going to be a tough category,” said Bill Bolin of the Best Midsize Cruiser 40 to 44 Feet division. “We have three very different but very good boats in this class — the Elan GT5, the Hallberg-Rassy 412 and the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440.”

To begin, Bolin said of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440, “It’s the best Jeanneau I’ve ever seen.” The judging panel agreed, crowning the boat the fleet’s Most Innovative design for 2018.

And what, exactly, led to that designation? “One big reason is the side decks,” said Tim Murphy. “One of the design features is wide-open side decks all the way aft” that permit easy egress going forward without the need to scramble over cockpit coamings. “It’s a clean path ahead,” he noted. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it’s something we expect to see on more boats, including a scaled-up Jeanneau 490, in the very near future.

“You go down below and, maybe for the first time, Jeanneau has separated the mast compression post from the main bulkhead,” he added. “Now there’s just a compression post that runs down into the main saloon, and the main bulkhead that would’ve come to that position is now several feet forward. So they’ve opened up more space in the main cabin and taken it away from the forward cabin, where they’re arguing you don’t need it quite as much. I think that’s also a fine change. It has twin rudders, and under sail, I thought the helm was beautiful. It’s a solid boat.”

So, too, thought Bolin, was the Hallberg-Rassy 412. “This is the largest aft-cockpit model Hallberg-Rassy has built,” he said. “There is a 40-foot center-cockpit model, but this is a different hull entirely, optimized for upwind performance, with a code zero sail for downwind work. There’s a retractable bow thruster — we saw a lot of those this year — to reduce drag and get the thruster deeper in the water and farther forward as well. The boat we inspected had upgraded sails, and when we went sailing, they were ­spectacular. There was a beautiful full-­battened sail and the boat sailed very well.

“It had a slippery hull and moved nicely,” he added. “We sailed it in 12 to 14 knots of breeze, so there was decent wind. Most of the time we were making 6.5 to 7 knots. As we fell off on a beam and then a broad reach, I think this was the first boat where we didn’t see a drastic drop in speed. It performed well on all points of sail. It had a nice big wheel and great visibility forward. It would be an easy boat to single­hand. I really like it.”

“This is a mainsail-driven boat, and I think that might explain why it’s so peppy off the wind,” said Murphy. “So the sail plan is a small jib with a big main. They’re one of the few remaining builders that are giving us a true traveler but also genoa sheet-lead controls from the cockpit, showing that they’re concerned about sail shape, and rightly so. Going down below, it’s the classic Hallberg-Rassy mahogany interior, and it’s just lovely, as lovely as it ever was. We’ve talked about good handholds, but on this boat, they weren’t just good, they were also beautiful. The fiddles are these beautiful rounded shapes that are perfect for your hand. They look great and feel great. Very nice.”

That left the Slovenian-built, 43-foot-4-inch Elan GT5. The company builds dedicated lines of racing and cruising boats, but, said Murphy, “The GT5 is sort of a hybrid between those two lines. It has a high-­performance hull and a very comfortable cruising interior.

“Sailing it was pretty joyful,” he continued. “We sailed in very light air and it was still moving very nicely. It looked really good on the water. It really seemed to have answered the performance side of Elan’s DNA.”

“The company is doing some progressive things in terms of systems,” said Ed Sherman. “The electrical system on the boat has a nice, graphically designed power distribution panel with push buttons that light up things to let you know, for instance, that the running lights are on and that sort of thing.”

“I was really taken with this boat,” said Bolin. “It looks like a race boat from a distance, and as Tim mentioned, its DNA is rooted in that. But you go below and it’s very unique, with lots of special features. I like the galley-­forward arrangement a lot. You come down into the main cabin and you’ve got max beam where the living quarters are, you have a great sense of entry. Figuratively speaking, you’re not walking through the back door and the kitchen to get into the house. I think this layout makes very good use of space. And there’s lots of storage. Finally, I’d say it’s a high-tech boat, vacuum-bagged with 100 percent vinylester. There’s a lot to like about it.”

At the end of the day, Bolin’s colleagues agreed, which is why they chose the Elan GT5 as the Best Midsize Cruiser 40 to 44 Feet.

Other Winners:

• Best Midsize Cruiser 44-47 Feet/Overall Winner
• Best Pocket Cruiser
• Best Full-Size Cruiser 50-54 Feet
• Best Full-Size Cruiser 54-58 Feet
• Best Cruising Catamaran
• Best Luxury Cruiser
• Most Innovative

More Information

• Specs, Prices and More
• Meet the Judges
• More: Boat of the Year , Boat of the Year 2018 , hallberg-rassy , jeanneau , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Sailboat Review: Dufour 41

Pre-Owned: 1988 Hylas 47

Catalina Introduces the 6 Series

Sailboat Preview: Elan GT6 Explorer

Best Practices for Boat-Show Shopping

Savoring Superior: A Great Lakes Cruise To Remember

Point Your Compass Due South, Bitter End Yacht Club Reopens October 23rd.

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Maine's Cole Brauer becomes first American woman to race sailboat alone and nonstop around world

The 29-year-old boothbay resident and new york native was one of more than a dozen sailors competing in the global solo challenge, published march 8, 2024 • updated on march 8, 2024 at 10:33 am.

Alone, Cole Brauer braved three oceans and the elements as she navigated her sailboat for months.

When she and her 40-foot sailboat arrived Thursday in A Coruna, Spain, the 29-year-old Boothbay, Maine, resident and New York native became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself, traveling across about 30,000 miles.

Brauer, all 5-foot-2 and 100 pounds of her, is one of more than a dozen sailors competing in the Global Solo Challenge. Brauer was the youngest and only woman in the group that set sail in October from A Coruna.

The starts were staggered. Brauer took off Oct. 29. As of Thursday, some in the field had dropped out of the race.

The race took Brauer south along the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and then eastward toward Australia. From there, she continued east where Brauer faced the unpredictable, treacherous and deadly Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America before continuing northeast across the Atlantic Ocean toward Spain.

The race took her 130 days to complete.

“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,”  NBC News reported  Brauer saying before drinking Champagne from her trophy Thursday while being celebrated by family and fans.

While Brauer is the first American woman to circumnavigate the globe alone by sea, she is not first woman to do so. Polish sailor Krystina Chojnowska-Liskiewicz finished her 401-day voyage around the globe on April 21, 1978, according to  online sailing sites .

Kay Cottee of Australia was the first woman to achieve the feat nonstop, sailing off from Sydney Harbor in Australia in November 1987 and returning 189 days later.

The global voyage is not an easy one, even on a vessel with a full crew.

“Solo sailors, you have to be able to do everything,” Brauer  told the NBC “Today” show  Thursday. “You need to be able to take care of yourself. You need to be able to get up, even when you’re so exhausted. And you have to be able to fix everything on the boat.”

Satellite communications allowed Brauer to stay in touch with her racing team and connect with fans on social media, where she posted videos from the race and her boat, “First Light.”

Along the way she encountered 30-foot waves that tossed her about the boat, according to NBC News.

She injured a rib and even gave herself an IV to fend off dehydration.

Sailing solo means not just being a skipper but a project manager, said Marco Nannini, the race’s organizer. That means steering the vessel, making repairs, knowing the weather and keeping yourself healthy, he said.

“The biggest asset is your mental strength, not the physical one,” Nannini said. “Cole is showing everyone that.”

One of Brauer’s social media posts from Dec. 8 showed her frustration.

“I haven’t really had the bandwidth to get into everything that’s been going on the past 48 hours, but the short version is the autopilot has been acting up again and I needed to replace some parts and do a rudder recalibration,” she wrote. “For once the light air is actually helping, but it’s been exhausting, and I’m sore and tired.”

“It’s all part of the journey, and I’m sure I’ll be feeling better once the work is done and I’ve gotten some sleep,” Brauer added. “But right now things are tough.”

But she’s handled the tough, even though some in the sport believed it wouldn’t be possible due to her gender and small frame.

“I push so much harder when someone’s like, ‘no, you can’t do that,’ or ‘you’re too small,’” Brauer said.

“It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said ‘Oh, I can do that, too,’” she added.

More Maine stories

Maine mass shooter had a brain injury, but experts say that doesn't explain his violence

Warm winter makes for an uncertain maple sugaring season in Maine

This article tagged under:.