This Hall of Famer Is Called a Gentleman's Ocean Racer

I don't recall a time when my sense of style, balance and proper proportion of sailing yachts has not been influenced by the design work of the late Bill Tripp.

The Bermuda 40 is a quintessential example of Tripp's art and masterful eye for near-perfect balance. I think it can be safely said that this boat has stood the test of time. Though the design is 50 years old, many people, including me, still consider the Bermuda 40, a.k.a. B-40, one of the most beautiful yachts afloat. It's true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I have yet to meet anyone who would deny the classic style and elegance of the Bermuda 40. The model was even inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1995.

The Bermuda 40 was designed in 1958 as a refinement of Tripp's earlier Block Island 40 design. The sheer of the B-40 is slightly flatter, the transom more vertical and broader, and the bow is slightly less spoon-shaped. Although the differences are subtle, to my eye, the Bermuda 40 has a better balance and a less dated look than the Block Island 40.

Henry R. Hinckley & Co. began production of the Bermuda 40 in 1959. Although Hinckley had experimented some with fiberglass boats prior to 1959, the B-40 was to become the bellwether for future production and established Hinckley as the premier North American builder of exceptional quality fiberglass sailing yachts. The first Bermuda 40 was the first fiberglass boat that Hinckley built; Hull No. 203, the last one, was delivered in 1992, according to Phil Bennett, senior sales director at the company's headquarters in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Hinckley no longer makes the Bermuda 40 but does provide parts and service for it, Bennett says.

Over the years the original design saw a few relatively minor variations. In about 1968, an airfoil-shaped centerboard replaced the flat plate centerboard and the mast height was raised slightly, resulting in approximately 20 square feet more sail area. While all the early B-40s were yawls, a sloop design was introduced in 1970. In 1972, the Bermuda 40 Mark III was introduced with a main mast more than four feet taller and moved aft nearly two feet. The increased sail area and the raised center of effort required another 1,000 pounds of ballast. Likely to help offset the added weight as well as further reduce the center of gravity, the decks of the Mark III were constructed first with balsa and later with PVC foam.

Construction of the Bermuda 40 is as good as it gets for custom or production built-boats. Although not built to any specific standard, other than Hinckley's own, that I know of, the scantlings are impressive by anyone's standards. The hull of most B-40s is a solid laminate of fiberglass cloth and resin, though newer boats used some Kevlar fabric. Originally, the decks also were solid fiberglass and resin laminates but later models used a core material to reduce weight while maintaining strength. The hull and deck are joined on an inward flange. A common method, but Hinckley used a hull flange nearly twice as thick and twice as wide as comparably sized boats. Another sign of the craftsmanship and attention to detail is the attachment of fittings and hardware. Fastener holes are drilled slightly undersized and then tapped for the appropriate sized machine screw. Bedded and secured, leaks are less likely than with conventional methods

Accommodations of the B-40 are comfortable for four people. Because Hinckley has always offered clients considerable latitude in choosing layout, finishes and furnishings, each B-40 I have seen is slightly different. The cockpit is very large and comfortable, and decks are wide, uncluttered and well laid out.

Although the Bermuda 40 achieved classic status as a cruising yacht, many design elements were the direct result of the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rating rule that was popular at the time. Alas, long overhangs, broad bilges, shallow draft and centerboards the rule encouraged do not make for a boat that is particularly fast upwind. Hinckley's own advertising once described the Bermuda 40 as "a great gentleman's ocean racer," and everyone knows gentlemen don't sail to weather.

But what the B-40 lacks in speed to windward, she more than makes up in other sailing qualities. Her performance off the wind is very good, and the full keel and centerboard make the boat easy to balance and comfortable to sail on beam and broad reaches. She is very well mannered in conditions that would give fits to the helmsmen of modern boats with high-aspect fin keels and spade rudders. As for stability, I compared 11 boats, measured under the IMS rule, and found the average range of positive stability index to be 116.5 degrees. This is not bad for a centerboard boat with moderate beam and relatively shallow draft. The B-40 was powered by Westerbeke diesel engines ranging from 35 to 46 hp. All these auxiliaries, in good running order, are sufficient for the majority of situations. However, as engine age and hours build up, older models will lose some of their ability to punch through choppy seas and strong currents.

For all this beauty, class and quality there is a price. During a casual conversation some years back, a friend remarked that he had seen an ad for a 35-year-old Bermuda 40 asking $75,000, and the ad said the boat needed work. He asked, "Could that be right?" "Sounds like a bargain," I responded. The bottom line is these are very expensive boats, but they do retain their value exceptionally well and under some market conditions may even appreciate in value. They're out of my range of affordability but I can still dream of someday being able to own one or, better yet, design a boat of such lasting beauty.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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