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The Cult of the Cal 40

The classic 1960s ocean racing legend.

The Cal 40 is a roughly 39-ft 4-in fiberglass production racing and cruising sailboat, of which about 155 were built in Costa Mesa, California, starting in 1963. The first mass-produced sailboat that was capable of sustained surfing on waves, the Cal 40 dominated ocean racing during the 1960s like no other design before or since. It’s the original longboard, a Southern California surfing machine that is capable of sustained 15-knot downwind speeds.

The Boat That Changed Everything

This breakthrough design ushered in dramatic changes in offshore racing, from the moment that Cal 40 #2, Conquistador, won the 1964 Southern Ocean Racing Conference, the marquee big boat series at the time. “Wooden ships and iron men” had been replaced by fiberglass boats and kids, as Cal 40s, sometimes crewed by teams of teenagers, crushed the competition in the Bermuda Race, the Transpac and many others.

The Cal 40 was created as the combined work of three men. George Griffith, a successful racing sailor and member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, reportedly drew the outline of a new kind of racing yacht hull on the back of a napkin, and showed it to his friend, naval architect C. William Lapworth. Griffith observed that sailing dinghies, like the International 14 class, were extremely maneuverable with their rudders hanging on their transoms, unlike the typical 40-footer of 1962, which was a full-keeled, heavy beast with the rudder swinging on the back of the keel.

Radical Ultralight Hull

Griffith’s sketch showed a flat-bottomed, radically ultralight hull, lithe and canoe-like in shape, but with a brutal, trapezoidal 6,000-pound wing stuck to the bottom. And behind this wing of a keel, way back, was a separate “spade” rudder. The design that Bill Lapworth created, at 15,000 pounds, was considered questionable, radically light and dangerously underbuilt by many of the yachting authorities, not to mention its being built out of the avant-garde new boatbuilding material of fiberglass, referred to as “extruded snot” by the esteemed L. Francis Herreshoff.

Griffith and Lapworth unsuccessfully shopped their design around to several California boatbuilders, experiencing polite rejection until they showed the plans to Jack Jensen, who agreed to build the boat on the condition that Griffith could guarantee orders for at least ten boats.

Fast forward to the present, and today the Cal 40 has attained true ‘cult’ status as a design that is sought after, restored and passed down through multiple generations of families. Try searching for Cal 40s that are for sale on Yachtworld and other sites, and you’ll likely come up empty. Folks spend multiple years and a quarter of a million dollars restoring Cal 40s and fitting them out with the latest sails, gear and electronics.

Standing the Test of Time

The Cal 40 has endured because it is not only a relatively quick downwind raceboat, but also a sweet-sailing light cruiser that, in the words of Cal 40 owner Stan Honey , “has no bad habits.” It steers beautifully under autopilot — plus it is rare to find a tiller-steered 40-ft sailboat, especially one with a light helm.

Cal 40s have twice achieved the record of being the biggest one-design fleet ever in the biennial Transpac Race, with 14 boats in 1966 and 2005. And the boat continues to rack up trophies in big ocean races too, as San Francisco Bay-based Cal 40s have continued to place well. Azure, Rodney Pimentel’s Encinal-based program, has been consistently near the top of the fleet in Bay, coastal and Pacific races. Green Buffalo and Red Head , from Richmond Yacht Club, have won at the top level. And no list of modern-era Cal 40 accomplishments is complete without mention of the husband/wife team of Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay Honey onboard Illusion .

Many Cal 40 restorations are underway, or have happened recently. Fred Cook ’s complete down-to-bare-glass rebuild of Sequoia , documented in a great series of videos, is the most famous one. He’s worked with Cree Partridge, Jim Antrim, Kame Richards and other top East Bay pros to create a virtually brand-new boat.

A Swell Cal 40 Voyage

Perhaps the most well-known Cal 40 belongs to Liz Clark , who has been roaming the Pacific aboard Cal 40 #68, Swell . On what she calls, “a sailing surfer’s voyage of awakening,” Captain Clark has pushed the boundaries of solo cruising and sustainable living, all while attracting notice for her exciting adventures and sponsorship from the likes of Patagonia and North Sails. We have a copy of her excellent narrative, a book called Swell , onboard Shaman .

27 Comments

I own #120, ‘Mahalo’ and have since 2007. Yes, spent lots of $$ but she was in great shape after two Transpacs in ’03 and ’05 as ‘Flying Cloud’. She’s small by modern standards but just a blast to sail. I don’t race but I love to sail a boat well and a 40 is just a joy. She’s a great cruising boat now too.

First I would like to thank Latitude 38 for providing the magazine over the years but its especially great now when away from the water! I did the Transpac last year on Bob Hortons Cal 40 “Highlander” from Tiburon. What a great ride out there on the Pacific, I can vouch for the surfing which became competitive on the boat to see who who get the highest speed, I won by topping out at 18.9 knots on a wave at about 3-4 in the morning!, We could gauge how fast we were going by the noise of the water and how high water was spraying above the lifelines.

I like Cal 40s fine, but not the V drive most of them have.

I remember sailing with Jon Andron and his father Mort on their Cal 40 out of Santa Barbara in 1966-69. I was living aboard my boat GJOA in the SB harbor then. A fast boat ,but many “old school” sailors did not trust the FRP boats and I remember wondering if those boats would just fall apart while racing. How times changed.

We love the Cal40 here on Monterey Bay as well where we have a group of solo sailors we call “The Usual Suspects” who enjoy slugging it out on a regular basis. The Cal40 is extremely well suited for solo sailing/racing with it’s long tiller, accessible trim lines, and ability to easily steer with one’s foot while grinding in the jib after tacking. Just ask Steve Gann on his Cal40, Boomer, who (at 78 yrs young) still has enough tricks up his sleeve to teach us “youngsters” a thing or two!!!

Love Cal 40’s. Sailed in 81 and 85 on Montgomery Street in TransPac. We won it all in 85. The boat is like a freight train on rails downwind in a blow. I have many wonderful memories. I love it that Cal 40’s are still competitive 6 decades later.

How about running some of the old stories about the Cal-40. One such story that comes to mind was about Stan Honey doing the single-handed transpac in his Cal-40. Something about him beating the time of all previous Cal-40’s that had ever done the trip.

Splendid summary, thank you! It is extraordinarily impressive that almost 50 years later the Cal 40 remains an icon: a formidable racing boat that is also a sea-kindly and practical cruising boat without bad habits

It is, perhaps, worth remembering that the Cal 40 did not spring fully formed from George Griffith’s imagination onto that cocktail napkin. The same George Griffith had collaborated with the same Bill Lapworth on a prototype for the Cal 40 which was also built in Cost Mesa. This was the Lapworth 36. George Griffith took delivery of hull #1. It shared many of the same characteristics, and 71 boats were built to become a premiere one design fleet on the West Coast. It too, was radically ultralight by the standards of the day at less than 11,000 pounds. It shared the same rig and sail plan, and many of the same hull and under-body characteristics. The L-36 still had a keel hung rudder so it was the spade rudder that was the quantum leap on the Cal 40. Like the Cal 40, a well maintained Lapworth 36 remains a formidable racing boat as well as a sea-kindly and practical cruising boat without bad habits.

Full disclosure: my Father had #71 built. It is still in our family, and I expect my sons to be sailing her for many decades to come.

So additional articles must follow to describe the “cult” group of Cal 20s, 29s and other Lapworth models such as the Pearson 44, etc…. the man knew how to conceptualize racing vessels way beyond the design of the times.

What about the 40’s hot little sister the Cal 39 (pic in 2-11-18 Lec Lat, Ode to Wet Bottom Girls), or “The Other Woman” Knot A Clew.

Little? I believe the Cal 39 is both longer and heavier. Ask Saildata.com

Unfortunately, SailData.com indicates that only 107 CAL-40’s were built, but I apparently have hull #168 and I believe the above information is correct that 170 were built. Perhaps SailData.com transposed the 7 and the 0 in their count. I have come across a few other errors in their data, albeit they are a very useful source most of the time.

The Cal 39 is certainly a fine yacht, but it is fundamentally an offshore cruiser with good performance rather than a racing design that can also be cruised comfortably.

Guess I could tell a few “old” Cal 40 stories. In the ’67 Transpac (not ’66 as written in the article above), there were 14 Cal 40s on the start line. HOLIDAY TOO, #24, won class and overall, the youngest crew to do so, and a record that still stands despite MORNING LIGHT’s professional attempt at besting it. Before the 2007 Transpac, and movie of the same name, Robbie Haines of the MORNING LIGHT Disney project called me up and wanted all HOLIDAY TOO’s ’67 crew birthdates. I thought this a little strange without an explanation and refused his request. Another memory: Before the 2003 Transpac Stan Honey invited George Griffith and Bill Lapworth aboard ILLUSION for a little visit while tied up at the Griffiths’ dock in Alamitos Bay. As we sat around in the cockpit, a little contentiousness erupted. George told how Lapworth had designed the rig to be 18″ shorter, but George held out for the “tall” rig, saying Lapwoth’s “stump” would have “killed” the boat. Then the subject of who designed the Cal 40’s spade rudder, of which both Lapworth and Griffith claimed credit, arose, and was not resolved before our friendly little reunion broke up. Good times. -skip

Good to read about the history and accomplishments, past and present, of the wonderful Cal 40. My family and I have enjoyed owning Chaparral, hull number 135, for more than two decades and agree whole heartedly with the positive statements and comments about this tried and true class of great sailboats. In over 50 years on the water, Chaparral has proven the point of being an excellent racer and cruiser by performing well in off shore racing, including crewed and single handed Transpacs, as well as sailing around the world in 16 months, with her previous owner, Hans Vielhauer. Cal 40s may be old, but they certainly are good, and so much fun to sail.

Jim Quanci’s beautifully maintained Cal 40 ‘Green Buffalo’ has a few miles and many wins under her keel! I enjoyed following GB out of the gate in the 2012 SHTP, which Jim and GB won. And of course GB has also competed successfully in several Pac Cups, and many Bay races. She’s a Cal 40 worth watching!

Can anyone fill in the history of Sally and Stan’s Illusion? There was a black Cal 40 on the East Coast by that name in the early ’70s – owned by Commodore Montesano and raced by him and Bus Mosbacher. Maybe you’ve enjoyed a famous Montesano Cooler on the lawn at Larchmont. Yup – one and the same. I raced on the East Coast Illusion as a junior and have wondered if it’s the same boat. Thanks for any ideas.

Yes Sally and my Cal40 ILLUSION is the same boat as owned by Bus Mosbacher and Vince Monte-Sano. We sailed ILLUSION around to the East Coast to do the Bermuda Race in 2020 which was cancelled. Our fallback was two terrific summers cruising in Maine. We’ll be racing ILLUSION in the upcoming Newport Bermuda Race in June 2022. Interestingly ILLUSION’s first Bermuda Race was in 1966 raced by Mosbacher and Monte-Sano in which she came second to the Cal40 Thunderbird. The seven Cal40’s swept the results that year.

I am the keeper of hull 147 (I think) under the name EnFin, located on the Great Lakes. Although her specific history has gaps, it’s believed she’s lived in the fresh water of Lake Ontario for all of her life. In my opinion the Cal-40 has the best cockpit and is…. sparse down below. The cramped galley and curved floor can be difficult to get used to, but in a >15kn beam reach she makes it tough for boats far lighter and newer to keep up.

It is the same ILLUSION as owned by Mosbacher and Montesano. Hull number 57. She used to be black. There are half hulls of her in the NYYC Model Room and in Larchmont YC. She used to have sail number 1700, probably because Weatherly, the 12 that Mosbacher sailed in the Cup had sail number 17.

Thanks Stan, that connects the dots and brings back lots of happy memories. Glad to know you’re continuing the fun. Good luck in June. TK

I crewed on an L40 owned by Dr. Ed DuBois out of Marina del Rey back In 1968 and 1969. It was a lot of fun even tough we weren’t very competitive. I’d love to know if that boat is still around. I have no remembrance of the name or numbers of the boat. Ryan Anderson

Was the Dubois L40 also named Duboius? I was best friends with Larry Dubois back then.

I remember racing against Laughing Sally in Puerto Rico early 1970s. Dick Doran was the helmsman. It was the most dominant and professional boat during those days. In 1970 won Antigua.

I’m the current care taker of 1970 built Cal-40 Jubilee. Almost done with a full refit here on the Gulfcoast near the Florida Alabama line. I was really enjoying the ride until starting on the long journey of redoing outside and in. Everything except the engine and transmission have been changed out. About to rig and step the mast soon. Hope to have her ready to go fall of ‘23.

Take good care! I learned to sail on Jubalee in the 80’s in Houston. She’s special. I’ve heard a photo of her was in the Charleston yacht club for a while.

There used to be a small plaque or something on the bulk head commentating a SORC record she set.

I have (should I say am trustee of? lol) a Cal-40 that is apparently Hull# 168, formerly named ‘Callalou’ or ‘Callaloo’, and now named ‘Innisfree’ likely after the Irish poet Yeats’ poem of the same name. I’ll keep her name as is. She needs some deferred maintenance caught up and rehabilitation. The teak is in need of cleaning and oiling and the cockpit backboards will most likely need replacing. The power plant is not original. She has a Westerbeke W-33 now, which was derived from a Perkins block; some parts are interchangeable. The engine starts and runs fine now with a new waterpump. I am eager to get her sailing again as I think she has awesome lines, not to mention all of the Cal-40 history and accolades I am learning more about. Any help with photographs of original cabin layouts, maintenance issues to look for, etc., will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Revisiting the Classic Cal 40

By Herb McCormick
November 20, 2023

You never forget your best day of sailing. Mine came in the waning miles of the 2005 Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu, screeching down the Molokai Channel under spinnaker toward Diamond Head in 30 knots of pumping trade-wind breeze, hanging onto the tiller for dear, lovely life while surfing at 14 knots aboard a Cal 40 called Dancing Bear. The sun was searing, the wind was howling, and the deep, blue Pacific Ocean was all the more striking set against the stunning backdrop of the green volcanic islands.

This remembrance, however, is not about me. Instead, it honors the legendary Cal 40, a William Lapworth design originally launched in Southern California in 1963 that has provided scores of fellow offshore sailors with rides they’ll always hold dear. Though I do recall my first thoughts to a fellow shipmate soon after crossing the finish line: “God, I love a boat that’s better than I am.”

All this came back to me last summer, when I joined Dancing Bear’ s owner and skipper, accomplished Pacific Northwest sailor Mark Schrader, for a cruise northward from Anacortes, Washington, and up the coast of Vancouver Island. It’s a far different venue and excursion than the Transpac, but one that made me appreciate the Cal 40 in a new light. This is one versatile vessel.

From the outset, the Cal 40 was considered a radical, ultra-light design, displacing just 15,000 pounds with 6,000 pounds of ballast and a flat, canoe-shaped hull that was ideal for prolonged downwind surfs. What really separated it from other boats of its era—hulls with long overhangs and deep, full keels from prominent East Coast yacht designers like Sparkman & Stephens—was the fin keel and detached spade rudder, greatly reducing the boat’s wetted surface. A similar appendage was employed in the winning America’s Cup 12-Metre Intrepid, but that was four years later.

Read Next: An Ocean Sailor Tries Freshwater Racing

The Cal 40’s production run lasted eight years and produced 108 boats, which are still highly sought-after. There’s no question that the boat has reached cult status and that it remains highly competitive. Indeed, the overall winner of the 108-boat fleet in the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race and the recipient of the coveted St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy was Sally and Stan Honey’s Cal 40, Illusion.

Yes, the Honeys are world-class sailors—Stan is a renowned professional offshore racer and navigator, and Sally is a two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year—and they recruited an all-star crew after Illusion had undergone a full refit. Still, Illusion was almost 60 years old. The Honeys purchased the boat in 1988 and spent the ensuing decades racing and cruising it. They decided to campaign it one final time in 2022. Their victorious attempt, covering the 635-nautical-mile voyage in 87 hours, included a textbook crossing of the Gulf Stream and a top-speed burst of 22 knots, both of which were winning highlights.

My own trip last summer on Dancing Bear was a decidedly more mellow affair, but we also scored our own personal highlights. For me, one of those was taking the helm on a cold, funky overnight passage from the coast of British Columbia across the Hecate Strait to the archipelago known as Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands. The sensation of driving a solid craft offshore, nestled deep in the cockpit on a tiller-steered boat, is rare and wonderful. In the wind and waves, everything balanced and in harmony, I fell in love with the Cal 40 all over again.

More: October 2023 , Sailboats , Sailing , Sailing Yachts , Silent Running , Yachts
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World’s coolest yachts: Cal40

Helen Fretter
October 7, 2022

We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Stan Honey nominates the Cal40

The Cal40 has iconic status in the United States and was a game-changer in the 1960s as a true racer/cruiser. Designed by Bill Lapworth, it has a radical flat-bottomed hull and separate rudder and keel, and was famed for its downwind surfing performance.

“The Cal40 revolutionised yacht design,” says Honey. “All ocean racers that came after had the fin keel and spade rudder that the Cal40 proved in the mid-1960s, dominating the sport including the Transpac, Bermuda Race, SORC etc. The Cal40 remains competitive in racing and an easy-to-sail, well-mannered cruising boat, perfect for a couple.

A Cal40 surfing into the finish of the Transpac. Photo: Betsy Senescu/Ultimate Sailing

“One aspect of owning a Cal40 is that everywhere you go folks come by the boat and tell stories about how they used to race on a Cal40 and that they love the boat. They have friends and admirers everywhere. It’s like driving a 1965 Mustang, everybody has fond memories. The Cal40 changed the design of offshore sailboats, like the ’65 Mustang changed the design of cars, forever.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

Cal40 stats rating

Top speed: 22 knots LOA: 11.99m/39.3ft Launched: 1963 Berths: 6 Price: $30,000-$80,000 Adrenalin factor: 70%

Stan Honey is one of the world’s most accomplished navigators, having won the Trophée Jules Verne and Volvo Ocean Race , and set 24-hour, transpacific and transatlantic records. He’s navigated on Playstation , Groupama 3 , Comanche , and the J Class Hanuman . He and his wife, Sally, also cruised and raced their Cal40 Illusion for 30 years.

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A Modern Classic: The Cal 40 Turns Sixty

The “New” Illusion finishes the Transpac. Displacing just 15,000 pounds (unheard of for a 40-footer designed six decades ago), the Cal 40 can surf downwind at more than twice hull speed. Courtesy of Sally & Stan Honey

There are always boats that have stuck in our mind; some for their size and speed, some just for the impression that they made on you the sailor at a time in your boating life. Some of those boats have had an enviable and remarkable lifespan. For me, one of those boats was Illusion , the Cal 40 from Larchmont, pitch black. The black Cal 40, a Left Coast design that transported to the East in overnight and distance racing and became the gold standard of its time.

The Cal 40 was born in a Southern California boatyard off the drawing board of one William Lapworth. His inspiration for the canoe-shaped hulls and modest rigs contrasted with the “East Coast Style” of long ends and deep keels that had derived from designers from Herreshoff to Stephens. The Cal 40 design set the pace from its introduction in 1963. Cal 40, you are a senior classic, six decades young.

There exists a whole fraternity of West Coast designers. Nicholas Potter was best known for the California 32, the analogue to Olin Stephens’ NY 32. Gary Mull, Bob Perry, Bruce King – they all developed in the West Coast style expressed in fast cruising boats from Cal, Ranger and Ericson. But no boat made its mark like the Cal 40. The elite sailed them: Turner, Conner, Mosbacher. And in 2022, in the hands of perhaps the most seasoned of crews, Stan Honey and his sailing partner Sally Honey, the Cal 40 won the big one, the Thrash to the Onion Patch, the Newport Bermuda Race.

I have never set foot on a Cal 40. But my Princeton sailing colleague, Marilee Allan , from the Allan family of Olympians and long-distance sailors, talked about her family’s classic Herreshoff woodie. She recalled that the family Cal, Holiday Too , was skippered to Hawaii by her big brother Skip Allan, all of 22, with brother Scott in the late 1960s.

Cal 40: The Spade Rudder Rocket: Transpac to Newport Bermuda

But let’s review. What were the vital statistics of the Cal 40 and what was behind the radical nature of its design? The creation story is that in 1963 George Griffith, a member of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, sketched the design on the back of a napkin and showed it to Bill Lapworth who designed the boat.

According to its Wikipedia page, the Cal 40 was offered to several builders who turned it down. That left Griffith to back the building of the first ten boats, which in turn convinced the local Jensen Marine to start production. One hundred and eight were built from 1963 to 1971.

Conceived as an “offshore racer,” the Cal 40 was 39.33 feet long and 30.33 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 11 feet and draft of 5 feet 7 inches. At 15,000 pounds with 6,000 pounds of ballast she was incredibly light for the time, with a canoe-shaped hull that surfed downwind like a banshee. With a mainsail of 350 square feet and an original 170 percent LP overlap genoa, her sail plan in the golden age of overlap was hefty, in the range of 900 square feet with that big genoa.

Out of the blocks, the Cal 40s stunned its offshore competition. They started out winning the 1964 SORC and they kept winning for a generation. Peter Rebovich’s Sinn Fein , #1818 from Raritan, New Jersey, won the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy in the 2006 and 2008 Newport Bermuda Races.

The Larchmont Connection: Illusion

My own link to the history of the Cal 40 was about a black boat with a black bottom. Cal 40 #57, Illusion , Larchmont Yacht Club. And my guide for that history is Bizzy Monte-Sano, two-time America’s Cup crew, ardent frostbiter, all-around sailor. It was his father, Vincent, who partnered with Emil “Bus” Mosbacher in 1965 to acquire the boat that succeeded Weatherly , the 1962 America’s Cup Defender, as the favorite boat for Mosbacher.

Bizzy in a winding and entertaining recollection of Illusion in the mid-1960s, said it was hard to remember all the details. He was busy… After all, Bizzy had been Lightning Atlantic Coast Champion in 1958 in an era when The New York Times covered yachting. After graduating Yale in 1963, he had sandwiched frostbiting winters at Larchmont with crew stints on Weatherly in 1962 and then again on Intrepid in 1967. He hadn’t done much racing on his father’s boat, but he did recall some crucial details about I llusion .

First, Illusion ’s sail number was 1700. That was a nod to the #17 on the main of Weatherly , a Phil Rhodes design of 1958 that was extensively modified for the 1962 campaign against the Australian Gretel . All black with a white boot stripe, Illusion had no bottom paint, to go faster, so long as the bottom was cleaned.

Sally & Stan Honey on their way to the overall win in the 2022 Newport Bermuda

As Bizzy recalled, Illusion was the first of three well-known Cal 40s that appeared on Long Island Sound sometime after 1965. One was Thunderbird , sail #1473 owned by the chief executive of IBM, Vincent Learson, who went on to do Bermuda Races with a bigger boat, Nepenthe. Another Cal 40 was campaigned by a Greenwich sailing family, the Lovelaces.

There was also a new look in sails with #1700, from a San Diego sailmaker.

“Dad was very good friends with Colin Ratsey and had used his sails,” Bizzy recalled, “but Illusion ’s sails were North. No one had really seen them out here, but Bus knew that most of the Cal 40s were in California and they used North.”

Between 1965 and ‘67, Illusion had an enviable race record from Long Island Sound to Southern New England. Many of the highlights came in New York Yacht Club events like the win in the Astor Cup. Illusion was generally one of the smaller boats in the fleet, but she had Bus Mosbacher, the matinee idol of American skippers, at the helm. The campaign ended in 1967 when Mosbacher, citing other pressing commitments, sold his share back to Vincent Monte-Sano. Bizzy remembers the boat being around for another year or so, but at a point everyone moved on.

Stan and Sally’s Wonderful Adventure with Illusion

Jump forward more than twenty years. A renowned electronics guru and a talented sailmaker were looking for a boat for both long distance racing and shorthanded cruising. Reenter Illusion , appearing again in 1988 in the hands of the team Stan and Sally Honey, who had searched high and low for a Cal 40 to redo.

Sally Honey, who made many of the downwind sails for Honey family boats, elaborated on the Cal 40’s power and boathandling ease.

“Now with the same mainsail size, but a 155% max genoa, her upwind sail area is just over 900 square feet,” said Sally. “She is very well balanced with that combination, and easy to steer through waves upwind.

She went on to explain how Illusion mastered the Mixmaster chop at the start of the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race. “Carl Buchan took all of five minutes to nail the technique when we first sailed with him on a practice race outside the Golden Gate in the Lightship Race. This is one of the reasons I asked him to start the Newport Bermuda Race, even though I am usually the driver. He had just won the Master Mariner Regatta and I was rusty after eight years of cruising.”

And what makes the Cal 40 steer so well off the wind? The boat had an internally mounted spade-type rudder – four years before such an appendage appeared with Intrepid in the America’s Cup. The combination of flat-bottomed hull and rudder allowed control in sustained wave surfing at high speed. Translation: Wicked fast downwind in a breeze. The hull speed was 7.38 knots.

In the waves downwind they went a lot faster. Straight down Long Island Sound in an easterly, on the back side of Block Island or headed for Hawaii, these boats flew at speeds two times hull speed and more.

There is no surprise that the Cal 40 is considered “one of the most influential designs and successful racing boats ever” (Sailboatdata.com). No wonder Cal 40s owners are a cult. Again from Wikipedia, Tom Burden wrote, “Today, the Cal 40 has attained true ‘cult’ status as a design that is sought after, restored, and passed down through multiple generation of families. Try searching for Cal 40s that are for sale in Yachtworld and other sites and you’ll likely come up empty. Folks spend multiple years and a quarter million dollars restoring Cal 40s and fitting them out with the latest sails gear and electronics…The Cal 40 has endured because it is not only a relatively quick downwind raceboat, but also a sweet sailing light cruiser.”

A Winning Ride to Bermuda

Sally & Stan Honey won the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race with a crew of friends, albeit rock star friends. Photos of Illusion surfing in what were for many very rough conditions are epic.

“The conditions we experienced, although rough for some, were perfect for a Cal 40,” said Sally. “We never tacked, jibed three times, and were pretty much fast reaching the whole race. With five good drivers, it was an ideal trip. Our watch system allowed us to stay focused. Stan floated as the all-important navigator (he chose the perfect course through the Gulf Stream and beyond). The rest of us took staggered four-hour watches, with two people changing every two hours and everyone up for every sail change and jibe.”

The transition from sailing a trapeze speedster to a 40-foot sled had always been natural, Sally reflected. “When Stan and I bought Illusion , we had been racing 5O5s together for multiple decades. So, she seemed like a dinghy with training wheels to me – no capsizes. Even the few times we rounded up, she just settled back down after a minute or two and we carried on. What a treat.”

Even though we only sailed her a couple of times before our first double-handed Pacific Cup and I had never sailed with an autopilot, it only took a day and a night to figure out that she was pretty much headed to Hawaii on her own. During our second Pacific Cup in 1996, we were able to push her really hard, jibing about fifteen times the second night to stay on Stan’s desired course. We won overall against all the fully crewed boats. Nice.”[The Pacific Cup starts in San Francisco and finishes in Kaneohe on the east side of Oahu.]

Twenty-four years later, the Honeys fixed their attention on the Bermuda Race. After years of cruising, they refitted and sailed the boat on its own bottom through the Panama Canal to be ready for June 2020. We all know how that season transpired, and the boat stayed east in Maine. And the crew returned for the 2022 race.

Sally Lindsay shared with me the roster of Bermuda 2022.

“Our crew for the 2022 NBR was Carl Buchan, Don Jesberg and Jonathan Livingston, all friends we had sailed against in either 5O5s or Cal 40s,” said Sally. “They all signed up instantly for the 2020 race and again for 2022. We were delighted.”

Peter Rebovich’s Sinn Fein won the St. David’s Lighthouse Division in the 2006 and 2008 Newport Bermuda Races. © Daniel Forster/PPL

Illusion Comes Back to Life

The story of how Illusion came back to life in 1988 demands retelling. Both Stan and Sally would qualify as serial boating entrepreneurs. Sally is known for her wizardry with marine canvas. Earlier in her career, she came from the world of sailmaking with North in Stratford, Connecticut. For sure, it is useful to have a sailmaker in your household.

Stan describes himself as a “professional navigator,” on board for ‘round the world races with Mike Sanderson, on Larry Ellison’s race boat, among others. Stan’s first talent is as an entrepreneur with visual data, where he pioneered a string of innovations in displaying on-screen information. Larry Ellison commissioned Stan to produce the 2013 America’s Cup cat tracker that allowed us all to figure out who was ahead with the mega catamarans dueling off the Citifront. Stan had produced the “yellow line” outlining the football field that you see in an NFL game broadcast. And amid all that, he created visual data technology for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Polymath, navigator, Silicon Valley techie – I would call him a maritime Edison, with a dazzling engineering bag of tricks.

Bullet Holes to Nailing the Gulf Stream

The story of the “new” Illusion has a bizarre and unusual element. The Honeys bought the boat in poor condition, from a seller who went to great lengths to be anonymous.

Outside Santa Cruz, California they found in a shrouded elephant’s graveyard of a boatyard, a barely recognizable Cal 40. Not sailable, belonging to someone but a someone who did not wish to be revealed. The hull was not totally attached to the deck. There were bullet holes in the hull. “OK,” Stan and Sally said, “we’ll play along with this.” Sorting out the ownership and title was like solving a murder mystery.

Then the work began. A lot of work. When water was poured on the deck, it came down in sheets in the interior. The hull was intact (except for the bullet holes), it seemed like not much else was. From there it was the usual sailboat renovation story. Acquired in 1988, “New” Illusion was not a one-year project. By 1990, they had a workable boat to try and enter “the other Transpac.”

Thirty-two years later, they sailed a dream race from Newport to Bermuda. It was a chaotic start in June 2022, with a front ripping through mid-starting sequence. How did Navigator Stan call the race? Exactly right. In and out of the Gulf Stream, just right. No tacks, three jibes, only one blown kite, and a convincing win overall. No wonder Stan Honey is Navigator to the Stars.

When I asked Illusion ’s Navigator if he ever sleeps during a race, he just chuckled. The Navigator just naps. He’s used to it. He has done it a long, long time. Cal 40 to maxi, it makes no difference. The Navigator never sleeps. ■

Tom Darling is the host of Conversations with Classic Boats, “the podcast that talks to boats.” Tune in via Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify, or online at conversationswithclassicboats.com .

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Cal 40' Interior Plans

Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by Paulo.AS , Sep 13, 2006 .

Paulo.AS Junior Member

I'm a Westlawn Institute of Marine Design Student and woodworker. My mother-in-law owns a Cal 40' wich is about to undergo a major overhaul. However as this is a second-hand boat she doesn't have the original plans, and she bought it (or her) with its (hers) interior already modified. Even tough I've been on the hunt for some time now I have not been able to find any shred of useable information about the original interior layout. So I come to this forum asking for assistance. I will be in charge of the interior joynery work and I need any help available...

RHough Retro Dude

Here are some shots of a standard Cal 40 interior and a line drawing of the layout.

Attached Files:

1410745_4.jpg, 1410745_5.jpg, 1470371_6.jpg, calquarterberth.jpg, cal40a02.jpg.

RHough, Thanks for the photos! They're almost as good as the quote from Leonardo. The line drawing I already have tough. Nonetheless anything that I can get will be of great value. Again, many thanks!!!

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Documenting the Full Restoration of a Cal 40

Post author: BMC
Post published: August 21, 2015
Post category: Boat Refit / Sail Boat / Yacht Racing

The boat yard has always been a place where sailors with a dream have started on projects to fulfill their dream. Fred Cook of Schaefer Marine is one of those sailors, and the complete restoration of a Cal 40 is his latest dream project.

Fred is no newcomer to the marine industry, and to boat restoration. As president of Schaefer Marine, he oversees operation of one of the most trusted names in marine hardware. But this is a personal project for Fred, his seventh restoration, and one of his most ambitious.

Fortunately for the sailing community, Fred is doing a fantastic job of documenting the progress of the restoration with videos in several episodes posted on YouTube, and embedded on this page.

Segment 1: Who can resist a FREE Cal 40?

Segment 2: initial assessment, segment 3: review of the sails that came with the boat, segment 4: what the marine survey uncovered, segment 5: what mast should we consider, segment 6: naval architect - new plans for an old boat, segment 7: upside down boat.

We hope you enjoyed this project. There are a few more segments on the Schaeffer Marine YouTube Channel . Have fun!

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Aleta lives on

The Cal 40 is a 39.33ft masthead sloop designed by C. William Lapworth and built in fiberglass by Jensen Marine/Cal Boats between 1963 and 1971.

108 units have been built..

The Cal 40 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser.

Cal 40 for sale elsewhere on the web:

Main features

Model	Cal 40
Length	39.33 ft
Beam	11 ft
Draft	5.58 ft
Country	United states (North America)
Estimated price	$ 0	??

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Sail area / displ.	18.48
Ballast / displ.	40 %
Displ. / length	240.01
Comfort ratio	28.79
Capsize	1.79

Hull type	Monohull fin keel with spade rudder
Construction	Fiberglass
Waterline length	30.33 ft
Maximum draft	5.58 ft
Displacement	15000 lbs
Ballast	6000 lbs
Hull speed	7.38 knots

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Rigging	Masthead Sloop
Sail area (100%)	700 sq.ft
Air draft	0 ft	??
Sail area fore	349.60 sq.ft
Sail area main	350 sq.ft
I	46 ft
J	15.20 ft
P	40 ft
E	17.50 ft

Nb engines	1
Total power	50 HP
Fuel capacity	0 gals

Accommodations

Water capacity	0 gals
Headroom	0 ft
Nb of cabins	0
Nb of berths	0
Nb heads	0

Builder data

Builder	Jensen Marine/Cal Boats
Designer	C. William Lapworth
First built	1963
Last built	1971
Number built	108

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Used Sailboat Review – Caliber 40

Posted December 6, 2021

The Caliber 40 Cruising Sailboat

As a general rule I try not to duplicate previous, first-generation SpinSheet sailboat reviews . I have bent/broken the rule on at least one occasion, strictly by accident. This month’s duplication is strictly intentional. It’s been close to two years since I last looked at a Caliber cruising boat; for some inexplicable reason, in the last four weeks I have been asked to survey three Caliber 40s.

Caliber, a brief history

Caliber is/was a family-owned, American, Florida-based yacht builder that was started by George and Michael McLeary. Production started as a garage/backyard affair with the goal of building a limited number of higher quality cruising boats. Caliber quickly expanded becoming a mainstream builder with a factory located in Clearwater, FL. The company was started in 1979 and was in production until 2010. Caliber models built during that time were the 28-, 30-, 33-, and 35-foot; 35-foot Long Range Cruiser (LRC); 38- and 40-foot; 40-foot LRC; and 45- and 47-foot LRC cruising yachts. Design was done in house by Michael McLeary Naval Architect.

Caliber is no longer in the boat-building business but continues on as a yacht brokerage firm run by George McLeary, specializing in selling previously owned Caliber Yachts. I have been on several surveys with George. It’s always a pleasure having the actual builder on hand to answer questions regarding construction details. Unlike many boats that are out of production, actual first-hand information regarding Caliber build, design details, and support is still readily available.

The Caliber 40 came in two versions: the original Caliber 40, which was introduced in 1992, and the Caliber 40 LRC introduced in 1995. Production of the LRC continued, from what I can determine, until at least 2006. LOA, LWL, beam, draft, and displacement specifications for both boats are identical. The main difference between the two models is the significant increase in fuel and water capacity from a fuel capacity of 55 gallons to 212 gallons; water capacity was increased to 179 gallons.

It is unclear if the original 40 was produced alongside the 40 LRC or was discontinued in favor of the LRC. A total of 130 of the 40 LRCs were produced.

The engine and drive train in both models were similarly sized (50 to 55-hp) Yanmar engines with Kanzaki mechanical transmissions. Given the huge proliferation of Yanmar drive/Kanzaki trains, it still amazes me how durable and trouble-free these drive trains have proven to be.

Electrical and plumbing systems were originally built with predominantly domestic or at least mainstream products, making parts availability and upgrades relatively straightforward. As the boats age, I find that in general electrical systems on cruising boats can tend to get heavily modified as the battery and charging technologies change and shipboard DC power requirements change overtime.

The rig and sail plan are generally considered conservative; several online comments have been made with respect to optimizing sail technology to improve windward performance and overall speed.

Construction

The hull from the shear to the keel is solid fiberglass without the use of core material. Lamination is with Isophthalic resin with an outer laminate of Vinyl ester resin and fiberglass matt below the water line as a defense against osmotic blistering. Blistering has not proven to be a significant issue with the Calibers. Interior reinforcement is accomplished with an internal bilge grid system and a builder described “multi-bulkhead bonding system.” This system has proven to be strong and reliable and is used by several other well-known boat builders.

Decks are cored with plywood squares as opposed to panels of end-grain balsa core used by many other manufactures. In practice, balsa and plywood share similar fates if exposed to prolonged moisture exposure. Review of some of my previous survey reports seem to indicate that deck moisture absorption patterns are minimal and similar to most other boats with balsa-cored decks.

Different than most production boats, the fuel, water and waste tanks are fiberglass and integral with the hull. Fiberglass does not pit or deteriorate like aluminum or stainless and should last much longer then aluminum or stainless-steel counterparts.

Findings and observations

Holding tank: When pumping out the holding tank with a powerful dockside system, there have been some reported cases of the vacuum from the pump creating a vacuum that can delaminate the tank ends or the hull sides or split the top of the integral tank. This could occur if the tank vent is clogged. The holding tank is quite large, and if full, adds a considerable amount of weight to the bow of the boat.

The second smaller “day” head in my opinion was not necessary; using this compartment mainly for storage is common.

The integral FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) water and fuel tanks should last longer than conventional tanks; if tank replacement or repair is required on water or fuel tanks, it may require some major surgery to the cabin sole. Note: the integral tanks can confuse hull resonation and moisture readings.

Marketplace

As of February 2021, there are currently nine Caliber 40s on the market with prices ranging from $99,000 to $250,000.00. The large price differential is mostly due to the wide age as the 40-footer was produced for at least 14 years.

About the Author: Capt. Tarn Kelsey owns and operates Kelsey Marine Survey in Annapolis, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay.

Find more used sailboat reviews here.

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Bluewater Sailboat – Cal 40

The T. Vincent Learson-owned bluewater sailboat Cal 40, Thunderbird finished first out of 167 boats in the 1966 Bermuda Race. Learson received a lot of flack about the IBM computer that had declared him the winner—and about defeating his boss—because this was the first Bermuda Race to be scored by a machine. Chairman of the board of IBM Thomas J. Watson sailed his 58-foot cutter, Palawan, second across the finish line but finished second in class and 24th overall on corrected time.

The computer scoring method wasn’t particularly nice to Learson, in fact. He and Watson would have performed far better under the previous scoring system that used the NAYRU time allowance tables to determine scores. The Thunderbird’s victory was a deserving one and part of a fantastic run of Cal 40 victories that were solidifying the boat’s reputation as a ground-breaking design. For George Griffith, the first Cal 40 was created in 1963.

Conquistador, hull number two, won the 1964 Southern Ocean Racing Circuit overall that winter (SORC). Cal 40s won all three Transpac races in 1965, 1966, and 1967. In the 1966 SORC, Ted Turner’s Cal 40, Vamp X, won first place. Five of Thunderbird’s sisterships participated in the ’66 Bermuda Race, finishing with her in the top 20 in the fleet, capturing five of the first 15, and four of the first nine positions. so forth. Cal 40s racked up an astounding record during their first few years on the water.

LOA – 39’6″
Beam – 11’0″
Draft – 5’6″
Displacement – 15,000 lbs.
Sail Area – 699 sq. ft.

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There were about 155 Cal 40 sailboats produced in Costa Mesa, California, starting in 1963, each measuring about 39 feet 4 inches. The Cal 40 dominated ocean racing in the 1960s like no other design had before or since. It was the first mass-produced sailboat capable of continuous surfing on waves. It’s the original longboard, a surfing craft from Southern California that can maintain downwind velocities of 15 knots.

From the moment when the Cal 40 #2, Conquistador, won the 1964 Southern Ocean Racing Conference, the premier big boat series at the time, this ground-breaking design brought in significant improvements in offshore racing. As Cal 40s, which were occasionally crewed by crews of teens, destroyed the competition in the Bermuda Race, the Transpac, and many other races, “wooden ships and iron men” had been replaced by fibreglass boats and children.

Three individuals worked together to build the Cal 40. Successful racer and Los Angeles Boat Club member George Griffith is said to have sketched the design of a novel racing yacht hull on the back of a napkin and shown it to his buddy, naval architect C. William Lapworth. Robert Lapworth In contrast to the conventional 40-footer of 1962, which was a full-keeled, hefty beast with the rudder swinging on the back of the keel, Griffith noted that sailing dinghies, like the International 14 class, were incredibly agile with their rudders hanging on their transoms.

The Cal 40’s build is typical of Jensen Marine bluewater sailboat from the 1960s. The internal bulkheads and timber interior structures are on a solid hand-laid fibreglass hull. The wooden structures are fastened to the hull by strips of fibreglass cloth and resin, however this tabbing is rather weak and has been reinforced in some Cal 40s where it has failed. It most likely requires reinforcement if it hasn’t already.

The Cal 40’s hull rigidity depends on the reinforcement given by the bulkheads and furnishings because weight reduction was a top focus throughout construction. Bonding failure can cause serious structural problems.

An internal lead casting known as ballast was lowered into the keel before the interior was constructed. Examine the ballast cavity to ensure that it has been restored properly if there is indication that the boat has experienced a hard grounding. When tapped, it shouldn’t sound hollow, and there shouldn’t be any fractures, tears, or other indications of moisture inside. Major repairs may be awkward due to the order of construction.

Additionally, wiring was put in place before the interior, making some portions of it very difficult to reach. The fact that it is low enough in the boat to get wet in the event that the last watch fails to pump the bilges and the boat heels over to her job may be of greater concern. That is what occurred to one owner who, after a long night’s voyage, arrived in the Bras d’Or Lakes in Nova Scotia only to discover that the boat had no electricity at all. Thankfully, light came in time to prevent a navigational issue. Once it was dry again, they docked in the harbour and discovered that the electrical system was in perfect working order. The boat’s complete electrical system had been updated in high, accessible places before the start of the following season. The consequence is that before making any decisions, you should carefully inspect the wiring in a Cal 40. If it has been replaced, make an effort to find out who did the work and how competent they were. If so, you might need to factor the price of rewiring into your acquisition costs. Until shown differently, we would assume the worst.

On a boat this size, wheel steering could be expected, yet the standard Cal 40 had a large tiller. The boat is well-balanced enough that a tiller can be used to steer it, and many helmsmen prefer it to a wheel because the latter obscures rudder feedback and makes sensitive steering more challenging.

Although the cockpit is spacious, it is well-suited for offshore work thanks to its comparatively low volume, modest companionway, and bridgedeck. Since the tiller sweeps the middle of the cockpit, the helmsman can sit pretty far forward, improving visibility.

Winch islands are placed behind the helmsman, where there is space for the crew but also where the helmsman has access to the sheets for sailing with fewer crew members. Cutouts in the teak cockpit coaming provide access to functional storage containers.

The aluminium mast is fitted at the level of the cabin sole after being stepped through the deck. At the mast station, the shroud chainplates are fastened to a transverse bulkhead. In the bilges, they are then attached to an aluminium weldment. The mast step is supported by this weldment as well. In some designs, chainplates have been a source of worry because of the heavy loads they can support, but based on reports from Cal 40 owners, it appears that the chainplate/shroud/mast step attachments have been reliable in this design.

The hull-to-deck junction is made up of an inward-turning hull flange, to which the deck moulding is adhered before being through-bolted and capped with a teak toerail. Despite being a robust form of joint, several boats have complained of slight leaks along it. The leaks are most likely a result of the hull skin’s very light design, which has a propensity to “oilcan” in bad weather and put stress on the junction.

There are no interior metal backing plates provided under winches, cleats, and other hardware since the deck, which is likewise a full fibreglass composite, had support built into it during lamination. Backing plates for high-stress components are typically advised by PS as a best practice.

Few signs of leakage or malfunctioning in the majority of the fittings, although one owner claimed that the bases of his lifeline stanchion needed to be strengthened. It would be wise to properly investigate this area.

Colors and non-skid surfaces are moulded in, however because Cal 40 is an older material, the finish will look worn unless it has been updated. If the boat is not in severe disrepair, a good Awlgrip job will work wonders and is likely warranted.

The Cal 40’s deck and cockpit feature several gelcoat cracks in the corners and other high-stress places. Although they are unattractive, these spots often do not pose a structural risk. Check them out carefully.

The more berths a bluewater sailboat had, the better; this was the common understanding of “accommodations” in the 1960s. Along with a basic head with a toilet and sink, it also incorporated the idea of a Sailboats Galley with a sink, stove, icebox, and something of a table. Neither the galley nor the navigation station had space age technology, and neither had the idea of the main saloon.

The Cal 40 is attractively built and utilitarian throughout, but she speaks of her own time. Traditional design features include a V-berth forward that is divided from the main cabin by a head and a hanging locker. Four people can sleep on the pilot berths and extension sofas to the ports and stars. In a pinch, the drop-leaf table can accommodate six people. The galley is to the port and the navigation station, which includes a chart table atop the large icebox, is to the starboard. A functional sink is located adjacent to a well for a gimbaled stove and oven in the galley.

The quarterberth entrances, affectionately referred to as “torpedo tubes,” flank the companionway steps, giving you an idea of their size. They extend from the main cabin all the way to the lazarette, allowing for efficient air circulation. On a return voyage from Bermuda, one seasick seaman found great comfort in slipping into one of the cocoon-like torpedo tubes, where he was bathed with a fresh breeze from the dorade vent on the lazarette cover, in between manoeuvres at the helm. When you are sailing, it doesn’t matter if the quarterberths are on each side of the engine room, but under power, things change.

Eight people can sleep in your sleeping quarters, which is too many for a 40-foot boat—unless you’re racing, that is. However, using the extension transom berths when underway is difficult. The inside, which is not very roomy by today’s standards, quickly fills up with extra passengers. Some of the berths are frequently converted by owners into storage space. However, because the pilot berths are also the most comfortable beds on the boat, the quarterberths are frequently given up for storage.

The dining table is one of the inside of the Cal 40’s outstanding characteristics. With a 4′ 4′′ gimbaled mahogany tray between them above the table and a strong sole-to-overhead stainless steel post at either end, it is slightly to port. The gimbaled tray can be used as a bookcase, diaper-changing table, salt and pepper shaker, and good handholds thanks to the posts. The table can be used from the port settee without obstructing fore-and-aft passage because it has drop leaves to the port and starboard.

Performance

Quick notes.

The Cal 40, a popular racing vessel when she was new, continues that reputation into adulthood. The boats have typically been subjected to rigorous racing and some rigorous cruising. In order to keep the boat comfortable and competitive, owners have a tendency to add equipment and make modifications. The boats probably have a sizable stock of frequently used sails.

On the other hand, if there are places that need repair, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, and you should factor the cost of the work into the amount you are willing to pay. Hard sailing for twenty or twenty-five years will have an impact.

If the boat requires new rigging, an Awlgrip job on the topsides, considerable reinforcing of the interior furniture tabbing, a new engine, or new wiring, significant expenditure may be incurred. If you intend to race, fresh sails may also be booked if necessary.

This bluewater sailboat would be suitable for a skilled do-it-yourselfer. Most of the boat’s issues have been resolved repeatedly over the years by other Cal 40 owners, many of whom were ready to impart their knowledge. Most likely, you would have a few options and evidence of which ones worked the best. Even though there isn’t an active owners association right now, there is still an informal community among current and former owners. If you purchase a Cal 40, you will have a modest boat with good performance and lineage as well as, if you want them, a few new friends.

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As with all sections on this website, this area depends on input from the members. If you have anything that would fit these subject areas, please pass it along to me.

Thanks, Fin.

Though now an old and dated design, the Cal 40 was a hot boat when new, and she carries that legacy.

Written by Darrell Nicholson for and reprinted.

Thunderbird, a Cal 40 owned by IBM president T. Vincent Learson, took first in fleet over 167 boats in the 1966 Bermuda Race. Because this was the first computer-scored Bermuda Race, Learson got a lot of gaff about the IBM computer that had declared him the winner—and about beating out his boss. Thomas J. Watson, IBM’s chairman of the board, sailed his 58′ cutter, Palawan, second across the line, but ended with second in class, 24th in fleet, on corrected time.

In fact, the computer scoring system was not especially kind to Learson. Both he and Watson would have fared considerably better under the old system that calculated scores from the NAYRU time allowance tables. Thunderbird’s victory was a legitimate win, another in a stunning series by Cal 40s that was establishing the boat as a revolutionary design. The first Cal 40 was built for George Griffith in 1963. That winter, hull #2, Conquistador, took overall honors in the 1964 Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC). The Transpac races of 1965, ’66, and ’67 all went to Cal 40s. Ted Turner’s Cal 40, Vamp X, took first place in the 1966 SORC. In the ’66 Bermuda Race, five of Thunderbird’s sisterships finished with her in the top 20 in fleet, taking five of the first 15, four of the first nine places. And so on. In their first few years on the water, Cal 40s chalked up an astonishing record.

The 40 was the fifth in a line of Cal designs that C. William Lapworth did for Jensen Marine of Costa Mesa, California. Lapworth had already designed a series of moderately successful racing boats, the L classes, including an L-24, L-36, L-40 and L-50, when he teamed up with Jack Jensen. The Cal designs were built on concepts he had tried in his Lclass boats. The first Cal was the 24, Jensen’s first boat, launched in 1959. The Lapworth-Jensen team then produced a 20, 30, and 28 before getting to the Cal 40, which proved to be a successful distillation of Lapworth’s thinking up to that time.

Aspects of the boat that departed from the conventional wisdom were her light displacement, long waterline, flat bilges to encourage surfing, fin keel and spade rudder. The masthead rig is stayed by shrouds secured to chainplates set inboard of the toerail, a then unusual innovation that allows a reduced sheeting angle. The success of the design helped legitimize fiberglass as a hull material, establish Jensen Marine as a significan't builder of fiberglass boats, and propel Lapworth to the forefront of yacht design.

Three decades have passed since Lapworth drew the Cal 40. In that time, using computers to score races has become commonplace—boat measurers and designers would be paralyzed without them. The CCA Rule, the NAYRU tables and the Portsmouth Yardstick have been replaced by IMS, IOR, and PHRF, with the effects of their parameters expressed in the shape, size and weight of new boats. New building materials and techniques have changed the meaning of terms such as “light displacement,” “long waterline,” “fin keel,” and “fast sailboat.” Today the Cal 40 is a dated design, having been surpassed in her revolutionary features by her descendents. She remains among the esteemed elite of racing yachts, but she is not especially light, long on the waterline, or fast compared to current designs.

The Cal’s builder was transformed by time, as well. Jensen Marine was bought by Bangor Punta Marine, and the Cal production line was moved to Florida about the time that the Cal 40 went out of production in 1972. For the next decade, the company’s name and address shifted between combinations of Cal, Bangor Punta and Jensen in California, New Jersey and finally Massachusetts, where it joined O’Day under Bangor Punta’s umbrella in the early 1980s. After 1984 the company was called Lear Siegler Marine, Starcraft Sailboat Products, and finally emerged as Cal, a Division of the O’Day Corporation, in Fall River, Mass. Cal and O’Day ceased production in April, 1989.

The construction of the Cal 40 is typical of Jensen Marine boats of the 1960s. The hull is solid hand laid fiberglass with wooden bulkheads and interior structures. Strips of fiberglass cloth and resin secure the wooden structures to the hull, but this tabbing is rather lightweight and has been reinforced in some Cal 40s where it has failed. If it has not been reinforced, it probably needs it.

Because saving weight was a priority in building the Cal 40, the reinforcement provided by the bulkheads and furniture is critical to hull stiffness. Failure of the bonding can be a significan't structural concern.

The hull-to-deck joint is an inward-turning hull flange, upon which the deck molding is bonded, then through-bolted and capped with a throughbolted teak toerail. This is a strong type of joint, but there is some complaint of minor leaking along it in a few boats. The leaks are most likely one result of the relatively light construction of the hull skin, which has a tendency to “oilcan” in heavy weather, creating stresses at the joint.

The deck, also a solid fiberglass layup, has reinforcement designed into it during layup, so no interior metal backing plates are provided under winches, cleats, and other hardware. PS generally recommends backing plates behind high-stress hardware as a matter of course. We found little indication of trouble with leaking or working of most of the fittings, but one owner said that his lifeline stanchion bases had to be reinforced. This would be an area to inspect carefully.

Colors and non-skid surfaces are molded in, but due to the age of any Cal 40, the finish will look tired unless it has been renewed. A good Awlgrip job will do it wonders, and is probably warranted for this boat unless it is in general disrepair.

The deck and cockpit of the Cal 40 we inspected have numerous cracks in the gelcoat in corners and other stress areas. Check these areas closely—they are unsightly, but in most cases are not a structural concern.

Ballast is an internal lead casting dropped into the keel before the insides were assembled. If there is evidence that the boat has suffered a hard grounding, invesitgate the ballast cavity to see that it was properly repaired. It should not have a hollow sound when rapped, and there should be no cracks, weeping, or other evidence of moisture inside. Due to the construction sequence, major repairs could be awkward.

Wiring was also installed prior to the interior, which makes it quite inaccessible in some areas. What may be of more concern is that it is low enough in the boat to get wet if the last watch forgot to pump the bilges and the boat heels over to her work. That’s what happened to one owner, who lost all the electricity on the boat when approaching Nova Scotia’s Bras d’Or Lakes after an all night sail. Fortunately, dawn arrived in time to avert a navigation problem. They anchored in the harbor and found that the electrical system worked fine, once it got dry again. Before the next season rolled around, the boat’s entire electrical system had been replaced in elevated, accessible locations. The implication is that you should look carefully at the wiring in a Cal 40 before you make any decisions. If it has been replaced, try to learn who did the work and how well qualified he/she was for the job. If it has not, you may have to work the cost of rewiring into your acquisition expenses. We would suspect the worst until proven otherwise.

You might expect wheel steering on a boat this size, but the stock Cal 40 came with a big tiller. The boat is well enough balanced to be controlled with a tiller, and many helmsmen prefer it to a wheel, which masks feedback from the rudder and makes sensitive steering more difficult.

The cockpit is roomy, but properly designed for offshore work with relatively low volume, a bridgedeck and small companionway. The tiller sweeps the cockpit midsection, allowing the helmsman to sit fairly far forward, a help to visibility.

Winch islands are located aft of the helmsman, where there is room for the crew, but it also makes the sheets accessible to the helmsman for shorthanded sailing. The teak cockpit coaming has cutouts giving access to handy storage bins.

The aluminum mast is stepped through the deck to a fitting that meets it at the level of the cabin sole. The shroud chainplates are secured to a transverse bulkhead at the mast station, and then tied into an aluminum weldment in the bilges. This weldment also supports the mast step. While chainplates have been an area of concern in some designs, because they can work under the large loads they carry, our indications from Cal 40 owners are that the chainplate/shroud/mast step attachments have served well.

The Cal 40 is in her element in heavy air, especially off the wind. Her long waterline and flat bilges help her get up and go on reaches and runs, surfing in heavy air. On the wind, the flat hull forward pounds in waves and chop, which slows the boat somewhat and is irritating. Owners agree that she sails best with the rail in the water. She is not dry on the wind, so a dodger is a welcome feature.

The masthead sailplan allows relatively easy reduction of headsails to suit heavier conditions, and Cal 40 owners extol the survivability of their boats. “Simple rig, nothing breaks, strong, easy to use,” is a typical comment. Despite her stellar racing record, the Cal 40 is only ordinary in performance by today’s standards. She carries a PHRF rating between 108 and 120 seconds per mile, depending on the region. That’s about the same as a C&C 38 or an Ericson 36, both IOR designs of the late 70s. Compared to a mid-1970s design such as the Swan 38, the Cal 40 is a bit slower on the wind and in light air, a bit faster off the wind and in heavier going, about equal in speed overall. It’s not surprising that these boats perform alike if you look at the length of their waterlines and their displacements.

In comparing the Cal 40 to boats of her own vintage one sees what all the fuss was about. The Columbia 40, for example, is a 1965 Charles Morgan design, an “all-out racer” with a 27′ waterline, displacement of 20,200 pounds, and a PHRF rating of about 170. Or look at the Hinckley 41: 29′ on the water, 18,500 pounds, PHRF about 160.

The Cal 40’s waterline is almost 31′, but she displaces one or two tons less than the Columbia or the Hinckley, and rates nearly one minute per mile faster under PHRF. In that context, she is indeed a fast, light displacement boat with a long waterline. Just look at her “fin keel” and you can see the progression. Compared to a full keel with attached rudder, it is small. Compared to a modern fin keel, it hardly seems small enough to qualify for the name. If Cal 40s win races today, it’s because they are well sailed, not because the boat is the fast machine on the race course.

In the 60s, “accommodations” tended to imply the number of berths in a sailboat, and the more the better. It also included the notion of a basic galley with sink, stove, icebox, and a table of sorts, plus a head with toilet and sink. Space age electronics had not arrived in the galley or the nav station, nor had space arrived in the concept of the main saloon.

Inside, as elsewhere, the Cal 40 is well designed and functional, but she speaks of her own era. The layout is very traditional, with a V-berth forward, separated from the main cabin by a head and hanging locker. Pilot berths and extension settees port and starboard provide sleeping for four. The dropleaf table seats four, six if you squeeze. Next aft is the galley to port and a nav station to starboard, consisting of a chart table over the voluminous icebox. The galley has a usable sink next to the well for a gimbaled stove with oven.

Flanking the companionway steps are the entrances to the quarterberths, known affectionately as “torpedo tubes,” which gives you an impression of their dimensions. They extend from the main cabin through to the lazarette, which allows good circulation of air. In fact, on a return trip from Bermuda, one seasick sailor found great solace between tricks at the helm by climbing into one of the cocoon-like torpedo tubes, where he was washed with a fresh breeze from the dorade vent on the lazarette cover. The fact that the quarterberths flank the engine compartment doesn’t matter as long as you are under sail, but it’s a different story when under power.

So you have sleeping accommodations for eight, which is too many people on a 40-footer, except perhaps when racing. The extension transom berths, however, do not lend themselves to use under way. The interior, not spacious by modern standards, fills up fast with extra bodies aboard. Owners tend to convert some of the berths to storage space. The pilot berths are especially tempting for that use, but since they are also the most comfortable berths on the boat, the quarterberths are often sacrificed for storage.

One of the best features about the Cal 40’s interior is the dining table. Set slightly to port, it is supported by a sturdy sole-to-overhead stainless steel post at each end with a 4′ 4″ gimbaled mahogany tray between them above the table. The posts make excellent handholds, and the gimbaled tray can serve for everything from salt and pepper holder to bookshelf to diaper-changing table. The table has a drop leaf to port and to starboard, so it can be set up for use from the port settee without blocking fore-and-aft passage through the boat.

A variety of powerplants will be found in Cal 40s. Some early hulls were equipped with Atomic 4 gasoline engines. Later hulls got Graymarine 4-112 gasoline or Perkins 4-107 diesels. It’s likely that the original engine will need to be replaced if it has not already been done. Even the newest Cal 40s are rather old, and the early models have passed the quarter-century mark.

Boats in our files have Volvo MD2B, the Perkins, Pathfinder 50, Westerbeke 4-108, and Pisces 40 from Isuzu listed as replacements for the original engine.

The engine is located under the cockpit, between the torpedo tubes, which allow access to both sides, but are not especially convenient, particularly if the area has been turned into storage space. Better is the companionway ladder, which removes to expose the front of the engine. That can be an inconvenience, too, if the engine needs some attention while under way.

Used for the minimum requirements of a racing yacht, primarily getting in and out of port, you can probably make do with any of the engines. If the boat is to be used for cruising, with greater demands to be made on the engine, the Atomic 4 would likely be inadequate.

Generally the boat will do about six or seven knots under power, depending on the power plant and propeller. We suspect that many Cal 40s will have folding propellers, good for racing but not the best for powering, especially in reverse. The spade rudder set well aft confers good maneuverability under most conditons.

The Cal 40, a hot racing boat when new, carries that legacy with her into maturity. Generally, the boats have been raced hard, some cruised hard as well.Owners have tended to be the type to add gear and modifications to keep the boat comfortable and competitive. The boats are likely to have a large inventory of much-used sails.

Because of her age and dated design, a Cal 40 may be available for much less money than a newer boat offering comparable quality and performance. Prices will vary according to the condition of the boat and gear, but will likely fall in the range of $40,000 to $50,000. If the boat has lots of add-ons in the galley and nav station, modern racing hardware, renewed standing rigging, new finish on the topsides, and the bottom is in good condition, it might fetch something higher. One performance extra to look for is a special (non-factory) fairing job on the keel and rudder that was available when the boats were young.

On the other hand, it should not be a surprise if there are areas that require attention, and you should calculate the cost of the work into the price you are willing to pay. Twenty or 25 years of hard sailing will take its toll. Significan't expense could be incurred if the boat needs new wiring, an Awlgrip job on the topsides, extensive reinforcement of the interior furniture tabbing, a new engine, or new rigging. If racing is in your plans, new sails might be scheduled in as well.

This would be a good boat for a handy do-ityourselfer. Over the years, most of the boat’s problems have been solved more than once by other Cal 40 owners, many willing to share their wisdom. You would probably have a choice of solutions, and indications of which worked best.

Although there is not currently an active owners association, there persists a loose fellowship among present and former owners. If you buy a Cal 40, you will acquire a modest boat, with good pedigree and performance, and—should you desire them—a few new friends, as well.

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, when Super Storm Sandy devastated New Jersey in October, 2012, one of the many casualties was the Cal 40 two-time Newport to Bermuda champion. Declared a total loss by the insurance company, Pete Rebovich decided to buy the boat back and try to repair it for the 2014 Bermuda Race. We thought our sailing friends and colleagues might be interested in the progress to date. The link below is to the Raritan Yacht Club website, where we are starting a Sinn Fein Restoration blog. The intended audience is our club members, so It’s a bit chauvinistic, but should nonetheless be of broader interest. Questions or comments may be e-mailed to Kelly Robinson at . I will forward to Pete as appropriate.

By | Published: September 11, 2012

George Griffith rocked my world. The man had a vision for a next boat, and he didn’t care about the doubters. The result was the Cal 40, arguably the most influential raceboat of the second half of the 20th century, and I have it on good authority that George, on his last day of sharing our Blue Planet, had a view of some very fine Cal 40s, moored at Catalina Island, gleaming as brightly as when they rolled off Jensen Marine’s production line in the 1960s.

George Griffith died this morning at about 5 a.m. aboard his motorboat with the family rushing him to the mainland. His son David reports they were making 19.5 knots, and knowing , that means that someone was trying to push the throttles through the housing. A few miles short of the beach, George simply fell asleep. The last two weeks however, had been full of family time, shared aboard at Catalina with wife Mille, son David, daughter Mary, grandchildren, and a stream of admiring visitors from boats nearby.

As longtime members of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, George and Mille made great use of the club’s mooring field at Howland’s Landing, Catalina. They had mooring number three, and you couldn’t really say whether was their second home, or Howland’s, but you could say without reservation that George was the patriarch.

Born May 9, 1921, George built himself a nine-foot dinghy in 1931. You do the math.

He sailed his first Transpac in 1941, sharing the 45-foot cutter with his brother, Dave, and finishing second on corrected time. World War II he spent in Houston, Texas building warships.

Caltech was the logical place for George’s higher education, feeding that hands-on, experimental bent that never left him. He worked with friend and naval architect Bill Lapworth on the design of a 36-footer, and then a 40-footer, but it was George who sketched out the shallow sections of what would become the Cal 40 at a time when “walking on the bottom of the boat wasn’t exactly normal.” He insisted upon the fin keel, spade rudder and light-for-its-time construction that would make this boat the original downwind flyer. It was George who boldly told the builder, “I’ll guarantee you ten boats.” Not that he had a way to back that up, exactly. David recalled that, as hull number one neared launch, “Dad drove the muffler right off our Studebaker station wagon and just kept right on going.”

Then, in the very next Transpac, 1965, Los Angeles to Honolulu, Cal 40s finished 1-1, 2-2, 6-3, and 5th-7th in Class C. Downwind distance racing has never been the same. George sailed the race on overall winner with a crew including skipper Don Salisbury, navigator Ben Mitchell, and builder George Jensen . . .

Today, is yet another Cal 40 that is still as good as new and still pleasing to the eye, the nautical equivalent on the mooring of a ’65 Mustang in the driveway.

Many years on, Cal 40 owner Stan (“Cal 40s have no bad habits”) Honey inspired a fleet of 14 Cal 40s to race the Centennial Transpac, sailed in 2005. George’s son David joined the crew of Fin Beven’s , and the run down the Molokai Channel proved the whole concept all over again . . .

The motorboat came about in 1985, when Mille put her foot down. George recalled, “I’ve always thought that if the wind is aft, a boat should have a spinnaker up. We got to a point where Mille declared that I had risked my neck too many times getting a spinnaker down when I shouldn’t have put it up in the first place.” And , which wound up being built at Choate’s with George as yard boss, is a motorboat that a sailor could love.

There will be a memorial service at 5 pm on Sunday at the Los Angeles Yacht Club in San Pedro. Ashes will be scattered off the West End of Catalina, the last mark before Diamond Head. George had for years been Transpacific Yacht Club member number one, which he said, “Just means I’ve lost a lot of friends.”

So have we, George, so have we.

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By Lynn Fitzpatrick

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Sinn Fein, Peter Rebovich’s Cal 40 from Metuchen New Jersey, beat the other ten boats in Class 1 and the entire 123-boat St. David’s Lighthouse Division for top honors in the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race. This is Rebovich’s fourth successive Class 1 win and his second lighthouse win in a row.

In addition to claiming the St. David’s Lighthouse Division victory, Sinn Fein is the first boat ever to win the North Rock Beacon Trophy, which was donated this year by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for the winner on corrected time among all of the 122 IRC-rated boats in the combined St. David’s and the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Divisions.

Sinn Fein, pronounced “Sin Fin” by the renegades from Raritan Yacht Club, placed first in Class 1, the small boat group, in the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Newport Bermuda Races. The crew has been together for several Bermuda Races with five of the seven members having been on the 2002 team and all of them having been aboard for the Centennial Newport Bermuda Race in 2006, so all of them have now won Class 1 and St. David’s Lighthouse trophies

The small boats had a very different race from that sailed by the big boats in the Open Division that finished the day before them. The winds were on the bow, straight from Bermuda the entire time, and were much stronger after the High that buffered the approach to Bermuda earlier in the week, had disappeared.

Peter Rebovich said of his crew, “This is the best crew in the race without a doubt and this was one of the most difficult races, because it was all upwind. No one got sick, but we did have mechanical issues. It was an unexpected win because we lost our electronics when we swamped the computer and lost use of our satellite phone. We could navigate, but we couldn’t communicate. It was a total surprise!”

Sinn Fein’s elapsed time or 104:43:57 corrected at 61:06:38 under ORR and 100:13:44 under the IRC rule. Selkie, a McCurdy Rhodes 38, skippered by Sheila McCurdy, Vice Commodore of the Cruising Club of America, was second with a corrected time of 62:10:18. Emily, Edwin S. Gaynor’s Nielsen 44, was third in the division with a corrected time of 63:23:48.

Sinn Fein’s all amateur crew is comprised of Peter S. Rebovich Sr., Gary Gochal, Henry Henning, Peter S. Rebovich Jr., Mark P. Rebovich, Kelly Robinson and Foster Tallman.

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Caliber 40 LRC

This well-built cruising boat with an attractive wood interior has loads of room but sails marginally to windward and has a few problems with its tanks..

Brothers George and Michael McCreary, and Marshall Jones, formed Caliber Yachts Inc. as a backyard boatbuilding company in 1979. No strangers to the sailing world, the brothers grew up racing and cruising Florida and the Caribbean.

Following high school, Mike earned a degree in engineering, with a specialty in naval architecture, from the University of Michigan. He served his apprenticeship on the production line at Gulfstar Yachts, and as a designer for Endeavour Yachts.

George, who manages the business side, received a degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Florida, after which he spent three years working for Morgan Yachts.

Jones began studying the production side of the business immediately following graduation from high school when he went to work at Com-Pac Yachts.

Without bank financing, Caliber Yachts began building boats one at a time, producing its first, a 28-footer, in 1981. By 1985 the company was sufficiently solvent to build a factory, and introduce a 33-footer. A 30, 35, 40, and 47 followed. The Long Range Cruising (LRC) line began in 1994.

George, who acts as company spokesman, says the construction and design of the LRC is similar to earlier models. The primary difference is expanded tankage for fuel and water.

The Caliber 40 LRC has a projected cruising range of 1,484 miles when motoring at 7 knots with a Yanmar 50 diesel running at 2,500 rpm.

George is tightlipped about information he considers proprietary—the company’s gross sales, annual production, and number of employees or dealers, for example.

Design Michael McCreary designed the 40 LRC, which is most often compared to an Island Packet.

It has a relatively fine entry, bowsprit and bobstay, straight sheer, reverse transom, and flat coachroof. The displacement/length ratio is a moderately hefty 281, indicating it has the hull volume to carry necessary cruising stores. A Valiant 40 is 256, a Sabre 38 224, and a J/40 176.

Ballast of 9,500 lbs. is 44% of displacement. McCreary says its limit of positive stability is 138°, well in excess of the 120 figure many consider minimum for offshore sailing.

The underbody shows a long cruising fin; you could also call it a full keel with a cutaway forefoot and a monster “Brewer bite.” The rudder is skeg-mounted for protection and tracking.

Shrouds are led to chainplates mounted inboard of the toerail, and the genoa track is close to the cabin for narrow sheeting angles.

McCreary claims the boat tacks through 85°-90°, but we were unable to approach those tacking angles during our test sail, nor have we heard from any owner capable of tacking through less than 96°, including one who invested $6,000 on flat cut, laminated sails.

Sail area is 739 sq. ft., with a sail area/displacement (SA/D) of 15.3; that compares to a Valiant 40 at 15.5, falling in the general range for offshore cruisers.

The company has built 130 40 LCRs since its introduction in 1994.

Construction McCreary would not provide a complete lamination schedule for publication because he considers the information proprietary and subject to misinterpretation. He said that buyers or owners who want that information should contact him directly.

However, he described the lay-up in general terms.

Hand lay-up of the solid glass hull begins with molds sprayed with isophthalic-neopentyl gelcoat, followed by a skin layer of .75-oz. split-strand fiberglass set in vinylester resin to prevent blistering.

The keel shape is part of the hull mold with a cavity for the iron and concrete ballast that is glassed over.

Though no molded liners or pans are used except in the heads (an appropriate application to deal with moisture from showers and toilet leaks), the hull is stiffened by the bonding in of a molded Integral Strength-Grid System™ that incorporates water and two fuel tanks.

The deck is cored with Marine Tech plywood cut into 2-7/8″ squares bedded in alternating layers of 1.5-oz. mat and 24-oz. roving. McCreary says that wood is used because it resists compression when deck hardware is installed, which he considers a shortcoming of balsa and foam cores. (Many builders using balsa or foam omit it where hardware is to be installed, and use wood or solid resin/glass.)

Extra layers of glass are laminated around the perimeter of the cabin and cockpit, and radiuses are reinforced with 18-oz. Fabmat.

The Quad-Seal Deck to Hull System™ is sturdy and well done. The deck and hull flanges are bonded with 3M 5200. The inside seam is bonded with copolymer tape. An L-shaped aluminum toerail covers the exterior seam; it is also bonded with 3M 5200 and fastened with stainless steel carriage bolts on 6″ centers. A stainless rubrail covers the seam between toerail and hull.

Caliber seems to have a name for everything, including conventional bonding of bulkheads to the hull. Caliber calls its method The Multi-Bulkhead Bonding System™. Furniture and cabinetry are bonded in the same manner. A built-up plywood interior bonded to the hull and deck is in many ways preferable to a one-piece fiberglass pan interior.

Chainplates are through-bolted to bulkheads as well as the deck. Caliber calls it the Double-Lock Chainplate System™.

The molded rudder is constructed of a stainless steel plate welded to a 2″ diameter stainless steel stock encapsulated in fiberglass. When released from the mold, fiberglass tape is laid over the seam to prevent leaks, and the appendage is then faired and sprayed with gelcoat.

Loads on the rudderstock are handled by three supports: a solid stainless steel shoe attached to the bottom of the skeg, a bronze stuffing box at the waterline, and an upper bearing.

To offset the potential for contamination of fuel or water, boats are equipped with “Duel Diesel and Dual Fresh Water” system control panels with independent piping and filters.

However, while at the fuel dock the owners of our test boat complained that the fuel and water fillers are not marked, and are so close to each other that spilled fuel could enter the water filler.

Several owners think the boat’s holding tank incorporates a major design flaw. The 110-gal. integral tank is in the bow below the anchor locker. The aft side of the holding tank extends from the bottom of the hull to the deck, doubling as a watertight collision bulkhead.

The design provides structural integrity, but McCreary confirmed that when pumping out the tank it is critical that vent screens are clean; otherwise, a clogged vent may create sufficient suction on the holding tank wall to cause delamination of the hull. After talking with several owners, we think McCreary has understated the problem.

One owner experienced the problem when flushing the toilet while sailing offshore.

“As I pumped I heard a scary cracking sound in the holding tank,” he said. Upon inspection, he found the vent micro-screens were clogged. “When I opened the Y-valve I heard a major ‘whoosh’ as pressure was released,” he said.

Another owner said a more damaging result occurred under similar circumstances when the screen clogged and the top of the holding tank split away from the hull, creating an 11″ long crack, not to mention a horrible mess.

Additionally, a full holding tank adds 912 lbs. of weight in the bow, according to McCreary; coupled with anchor and rode, we think that is excessive. The holding tank also services the aft head, so waste may accumulate in hoses under the saloon.

The vacuum problem may extend to water and fuel tanks equipped with the same screens. One owner reported the inability to pump water from a tank, though the water pump was operating properly. The screens require cleaning or replacement.

Deck The T-shaped cockpit is comfortable, with 7′ 6″ seats and high backrests.

A port lazarette is 32″ deep and has a 16″ wide shelf and scallops for organizing spare lines. It also provides access to the aft end of the engine, batteries, and steering controls. There is space for the installation of a cabin heating system and genset.

Other features include an ice chest and vented propane locker with room for two 10-lb. bottles.

The transom platform has a built-in swim ladder.

For sail handling, two-speed Lewmar 48 winches are located on the coaming within reach of the helmsman, but the mainsheet traveler, mounted on the coachroof, requires a shorthanded sailor to leave the helm to trim the main. Two Lewmar 30s are mounted on the cabin top with triple rope clutches for sail control lines.

The untapered Selden mast has single spreaders.

The test boat was equipped with an optional inner forestay for setting a staysail. Tension on the stay is controlled by an uphaul inside the mast attached to a stainless sliding car to which the stay is attached. When not in service, the stay is secured out of the way to a padeye on deck.

The headstay and upper shrouds are 3/8″; the backstay and lower shrouds are 5/16″. The split backstay eases boarding but a single backstay would allow for an integral adjuster to control sail shape.

With wide decks, lifelines, handrails and slotted toerail, movement about the boat is easy and safe.

A double-roller stainless steel bowsprit moves ground tackle well forward of the stem and furling gear. The split anchor locker on our test boat carried a 30-kg Bruce, 200′ of chain and 200′ of rode in one compartment, and a 25-lb. Danforth and rode in the other.

Accommodations Joinerwork is nicely done; the 40 LRC looks like a traditional cruising boat—teak and holly sole, teak hull liners and bulkheads.

Headroom is 6′ 2″ throughout.

The master stateroom forward has an offset double berth measuring 6′ 4″ x 4′ 4″. It’s a nice change from the usual V-berth, though the person sleeping outboard has to climb over his or her partner to get out.

We like the head in the bow, but it won’t be as comfortable to use at sea as the aft head. There is a separate shower stall.

The L-shaped dinette settee to port is 6′ 2″ long, and converts to a double berth. The starboard settee is 6′. The dinette table folds down from the bulkhead.

In the galley, the fiberglass sink is located on centerline, where it should be to prevent water from flooding through the drain. The stove/oven is Force 10 and there’s room for a microwave. The 11 cu. ft. top loading icebox drains into a sump pump box at the mast step.

The nav station is aft of the galley. The navigator faces a large electrical and instrument panel outboard and communicates with the helmsman by opening a port beside his seat.

To starboard is what McCreary calls a “day head,” with doors from the saloon or aft berth. The head measures 42″ x 36″ and has toilet, sink and a shower; one dealer referred to it as a “telephone booth.”

The aft stateroom berth measures 6′ 7″x4′ 4″. There’s a cedar-lined hanging locker. Storage space below the berth is shared with an 11-gallon water heater.

Access to wiring, plumbing, through-hulls and tank inspection ports throughout the boat are from inside cabinets or behind fascias.

The top step on the companionway ladder opens to provide access to the top of engine; if desired, the entire ladder/box can be removed.

One owner complained that the engine compartment is inadequately insulated; he added lead-lined foam insulation but is still dissatisfied with engine noise in the saloon.

Performance Our test sail was with a Seattle couple that has owned four boats prior to the 40 LRC, most recently a light displacement, fin keel 36-footer.

“We didn’t want a full keel,” they said. “But we wanted a good shape, aesthetics, and a full-batten main and cutter rig so we could reef and sail with the staysail in 40 knots of breeze.

“The first thing we had to adapt to was the difference in feel and stiffness of this boat. It’s not as much fun as our old 36, but it is easier to sail.”

We tested the boat in 0-12 knots of apparent wind on calm waters, setting a 135% genoa on a Harken furler.

Considering its displacement, it is no surprise that in less than 6 knots of wind the boat moves only with assistance from the “iron genny.” When windspeed reached 6 knots it made 2-3 knots; at 7-9 knots of breeze we accelerated to 4.5 knots. Then, in 9-12 knots of wind, we sailed at 5-5.5 knots to within 60° of the apparent wind. On a broad reach, we managed to hit 7.2 knots in 10-12 knot puffs.

Additional performance information came from another Seattle owner who has logged more than 4,000 miles on his boat. A racer-turned-cruiser, he has pushed the boat hard and has computerized performance data. He replaced the factory main with a flat cut, large roach Spectra sail.

“I wanted to find out just how seaworthy the boat is, and how well she sails,” he said. “We sailed 250 miles to weather during a 36-hour trip up the west coast of Vancouver Island. Carried a 120% jib and full main sailing into 5-6 foot seas in steady 15-20-knot winds. I had a mapping program calibrated to my GPS and found that the best tacking angle we could produce was 112°.

“Going to weather in winds over 20 knots we furl the jib and hoist an overlapping staysail. We added sail track inside the Dorades to improve pointing and found that when wind speeds reach 20 knots we point 5° higher with the staysail, improve our VMG, and are more comfortable.

“On the return downwind we noticed a tendency to roll to windward in heavy seas, even with shortened headsail.”

Following an offshore passage from San Francisco to San Diego a cruising couple echoed his sentiments.

“When beam and broad reaching in winds around 25 knots the boat will round up if I have too much sail up,” the husband said. “When on a broad reach it gets even worse because the rollers hitting the stern push the stern to leeward, so it’s important to shorten sail early. On the other hand, I don’t think this was any worse than any other boat I’ve sailed on.”

A number of owners said they have fitted a feathering Max-Prop to the 50-hp. Yanmar diesel, which improves maneuverability, especially in reverse, and reduces drag under sail.

Warranty The company’s one-year warranty is too short, considering the price and intended use of the boat. The warranty for blistering is extended to five years if the bottom is epoxied during construction.

However, Chester Kolascz, a dealer who has represented the company for eight years in Michigan and also represents two other mainstream builders, said: “My service department likes Caliber best because it has the least amount of warranty work of any of the three.”

Conclusion The design and construction of the Caliber 40 LRC make it suitable for offshore use. In decent winds it should give 150-180-mile days. Upwind performance is typical of moderately heavy cruising boats; odds are she’ll be motorsailed on long coastal trips to weather. On balance, she’ll cover fewer miles than lighter-weight competitors, but will provide a more comfortable ride in heavy seas.

Among owners contacted, the company gets mixed reviews regarding post-sale service. In one instance the company shared the expense of a repair more than one year after expiration of the warranty.

Base price seems a fair $204,950, FOB Clearwater, Florida. For comparison, a Cabo Rico 40 is close to $400,000, a Catalina 40 Mk II and a Jeanneau Sun Fast 40 about $170,000, and the C&C 121 Express about $220,000.

Contact- Caliber Yachts, 4551 107th Circle N., Clearwater, FL 33762; 813/573-0627.

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Sailboat Guide

1968 CAL 34

Description

Seller's Description

🌊 Set Sail on an Adventure with the Amazing ‘68 Cal 34! 🌊

⚡️ MAKE OFFER! ⚡️

Looking for a sailing companion that combines excitement, affordability, and the thrill of exploration? Look no further! Introducing the ‘68 Cal 34, a true gem of a boat that’s ready to conquer the waters and create unforgettable experiences. Don’t mind a bit of interior cosmetic work and some exterior touch-ups? Then this vessel is perfect for you!

✨ Positive Experiences Await ✨

Step aboard and discover the wonders that await you with the ‘68 Cal 34. Despite its age, this beauty has been well-maintained and lovingly cared for. Let the stories of countless adventures inspire you to embark on your own!

🔌 Custom Electrical Work 🔌

One of the standout features of this boat is the impressive custom electrical work performed by the owner. No need to worry about outdated systems here! Everything is up-to-date and ready to provide you with a seamless sailing experience.

🚀 Brand New Universal Engine 🚀

With a brand new Universal engine boasting only 4 hours of use, you can sail with confidence, knowing that reliability is on your side. This powerhouse of an engine will ensure smooth and worry-free voyages as you explore the vast blue horizons.

🎣 Raymarine Sonar Fish-Location System 🎣

Calling all fishing enthusiasts! The ‘68 Cal 34 comes equipped with a state-of-the-art Raymarine sonar fish-location system. Stay updated on the perfect spots for a fishing extravaganza, all while enjoying the thrill of sailing. It’s a dream come true for those seeking the best of both worlds.

🛳️ Countless Unmentioned Features 🛳️

This vessel is brimming with additional features that make it a true standout. To truly appreciate the ‘68 Cal 34, we invite you to see it in person or take a virtual viewing tour. Prepare to be amazed by the hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered.

⛵ Your Perfect Sailing Starter ⛵

Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or new to the world of sailing, the ‘68 Cal 34 is an ideal choice. Offering an affordable price point, this boat presents a fantastic opportunity to kickstart your sailing journey or find a comfortable live-aboard option. With a little bit of cosmetic work, you’ll have a fantastic vessel to call your own.

Don’t miss out on this incredible chance to own a piece of sailing history! Contact us today and let the ‘68 Cal 34 be your gateway to a lifetime of thrilling adventures on the open seas.

Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
LOA: Length overall in feet
Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Jack Jensen, founder of Jensen Marine owned and regularly sailed a CAL 34. Later versions (2-34, 34-III) share the same hull but with different rigs and other details. Production of the final version continued until 1979.

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