Custom 40 foot fast cruiser launched on UK’s south coast

— 08 Jul 2007

A new, custom fast cruising boat from the drawing board of Rob Humphreys and his team at Humphreys Yacht Design has been launched at Lymington, Hampshire.

Built by Steve Etheridge for a locally-based owner, this cruising sailboat was designed and constructed to a very specific brief, requiring that she be both fast and yet have the ability to dry out on the local mud banks. In the interests of performance and easy handling the mainsail is fully-battened, the non-overlapping jib is flown from its own boom, and the boat has a retractable bowsprit for asymmetric spinnakers and a light air drifter. The mast itself is a free-standing, rotating wing; removing the drag of rigging.

Below the waterline the boat is fitted with a hydraulically lifting keel which, when fully raised, allows her to sit – fully stable – on the keel base plus her twin rudders while she waits for the tide to come back in.

Visually her lines are smooth and elegant, with the absence of the usual rigging giving her a very clean and streamlined aspect. There is an unusually large afterdeck for a boat of this size, perfect for relaxing when in harbour or at anchor, and berths for six. The overall result is a powerful but practical yacht for tidal waters such as those found on the south coast of the UK.