| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Robert Perry |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1978 |
| No. built | 32 |
| Builder(s) | Nordic Yachts Norstar Yachts |
| Role | Racer-Cruiser |
| Name | Nordic 40 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 18,000 lb (8,165 kg) |
| Draft | 6.50 ft (1.98 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass single laminate, with balsa-cored deck |
| LOA | 39.70 ft (12.10 m) |
| LWL | 32.50 ft (9.91 m) |
| Beam | 12.43 ft (3.79 m) |
| Engine type | Universal 44 hp (33 kW)diesel engine |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel |
| Ballast | 7,091 lb (3,216 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | skeg-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 52.50 ft (16.00 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 16.00 ft (4.88 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 48.00 ft (14.63 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 14.00 ft (4.27 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Masthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 336.00 sq ft (31.215 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 420.00 sq ft (39.019 m2) |
| Total sail area | 756.00 sq ft (70.235 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 105 |
TheNordic 40 is an Americansailboat that was designed byRobert Perry as aracer-cruiser and first built in 1978.[1][2][3]
The design was built byNordic Yachts inBellingham, Washington,United States between 1978 and 1991, with 32 examples built. Aluxury tax imposed in the US in 1991 caused the end of production and the shut-down of the company.[1][4][5]
Gary Nordvedt, the founder of Nordic Yachts establishedNorstar Yachts with his brother Steve, in Bellingham as apowerboat builder in 1994. He bought the old molds back and returned the Nordic 40 to production in 2009, although the company went out of business in 2017.[4][6]
The Nordic 40 is a recreationalkeelboat, built predominantly of single laminatefiberglass, with a balsa-cored deck andteak wood trim. It has amasthead sloop rig with paintedaluminum spars, araked stem, areverse transom, askeg-mountedrudder controlled by awheel and a fixed finkeel. It displaces 18,000 lb (8,165 kg) and carries 7,091 lb (3,216 kg) of lead ballast.[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 6.50 ft (1.98 m) with the standard keel fitted.[1]
The boat is fitted with a Universal 44 hp (33 kW)diesel engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 55 U.S. gallons (210 L; 46 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 140 U.S. gallons (530 L; 120 imp gal).[1]
The Norstar production version varies only in fitting a fold-down transom designed by Gary Nordvedt, to allow easier boarding.[4][7]
The design has sleeping accommodation for six people. There is a bow cabin, with a "V"-berth, one straight and one "L"-settee berths in the main saloon along with a folding dinette table and an aft cabin with a double quarter berth under the cockpit. The U-shapedgalley is located on the port side, at the foot of the companionway steps and includes a three-burnerpropane-fired stove, an oven and a 9 cu ft (0.25 m3)icebox. The propane tanks are stowed in the sternlazarette well. The largehead is locate on the port side, aft of the bow cabin and includes a large, molded fiberglass shower stall with a seat.[3]
Ventilation is provided by hatches over the companionway, the main saloon and the bow cabin. There are also fourDorade boxes and six opening ports, in addition to two larger fixed ports.[3]
For sailing there are five internalhalyards, plus an internaltopping lift,reefing lines and aspinnaker pole lift. The boat has seven winches provided as standard equipment. These consist of two primarygenoa winches, a genoa and amainsail halyard winch, amainsheet winch, a reefing winch and anouthaul winch. The genoa has an inboard-mounted sheeting track and there is amainsheet traveler on the coach house roof. Theshrouds are also inboard-mounted. An adjustable backstay for racing was a factory option.[3]
The design has aPHRF racing average handicap of 105.[3]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the Nordic shows many of the hull features that have becomepopular since the late sixties. The hull is fine forward, has a short underwater length, and flattens aft toward the skeg and the spade rudder. The keel is short, thin, and quite deep. Overhangs are short."[3]
Cruising World reviewer Gordon Meigs wrote, "my surveyor commented, 'When these were built, nobody in the United States was building a better boat.'"[8]
In reviewing the Norstar-built Nordic 40 in 2010, Alvah Simon noted, "Overall, I concur with the Nordvedt brothers. The boat that Bob Perry drew way back in the 1970s was a very good design then and is a very good design now. If one is looking for a still stylish, sprightly, and fully capable ocean cruiser, they needn't look much farther...."[4]
Related development
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