Bill Lapworth was a pivotal designer at the least and many would call his CAL 40 the design that changed everything...Never meant as a dedicated racing boat yet with performance that in the late sixties left most of the "Racers" wondering just what had come to pass. Those days are past though the CAL 40 still has teeth and is one of the most active classes in the TransPac...A cruiser/racer that actually deserved the name.
On the other hand the racer/cruiser pedigree of the CAL 40 makes it a good choice for a couple who wants to get someplace in a timely manner and don't feel the need to have a lot of people stay over on any sort of regular basis...Way back when I heard someone refer to the "perfect" boat as sleeping two, feeding four and drinks six. If that is the criteria the CAL 40 still makes a whole lot of sense for a couple who wants a competitive boat for not a lot of money!
A lot of new boats are supposed to be more comfortable and it is true that a lot of forty foot boats these days have larger berths and as many en suite heads but does that really make them more comfortable for a couple...I mean what do you do with the extra berths when you don't have people sleeping in them? The CAL 40 is admittedly old school in terms of interior layout but one should not discount the fact that the old school interior worked really well (still does!) and was for want of a better word..seaworthy...Which when you come to think of it is no bad thing on a boat that you'd very likely cross oceans in!
My last word on the CAL 40 is of all the designs I've come across there is simply nothing that needs changing, it simply works.
Plans Change, Martinique version
3 days ago
