North American 40 Performance & PHRF

The North American 40 is and respectable in club racing.

Hull Speed

The theoretical displacement-mode speed limit — determined by waterline length, not engine or sail power.

7.6 kts

A displacement hull pushes a bow wave whose speed is limited by the waterline length. With a waterline of 32.0′, the North American 40 tops out around 7.6 knots in displacement mode — after that, the bow wave outruns the hull and resistance climbs steeply.

1.34 × √32.0′ LWL = 7.6 kts

Performance Ratios

Racing handicap, sail-carrying power, stability and comfort — and what each one actually tells you about a day on the water.

PHRF Rating

90s/nm

Cruiser/racer — competitive in club racing, comfortable cruising.

Ballast / Displacement

45.2%

Race-oriented ballast ratio — very stiff and powerful.

Displacement / Length

238

Moderate — a good balance of speed and load-carrying ability.

Hull Speed

7.6kts

Pounds/Inch Immersion

9lbs

Weight needed to sink the hull one inch — loading sensitivity.

PHRF Fleet Position

Where the North American 40 sits on the PHRF handicap spectrum — lower numbers mean faster boats.

Racer 0–90

Cruiser/Racer 90–150

Cruiser 150–210

J/39 45s/nm

X 402 78s/nm

North American 40 90s/nm Cruiser/racer — competitive in club racing, comfortable cruising.

Irwin 39 Citation 132s/nm

Nautilus 40 132s/nm

How It Compares

Side-by-side with the boats most often cross-shopped against the North American 40.

	North American 40	Allied 39	Irwin 39 Citation	J/39	Nautilus 40	X 402
Dimensions
LOA	39.7	39.8	39.8	39.8	39.8	39.7
LWL	32.0	28.8	31.2	33.5	30.5	33.2
Beam	12.6	10.5	12.2	13.0	10.8	12.9
Displacement	17	17	16	16	19	13
Ballast	7	6	6	6	9	6
Sail Area	—	680	769	720	696	703
Performance
PHRF	90	—	132	45	132	78
SA/Disp	—	16.5	18.8	16.9	15.5	20.2
Bal/Disp	45.2	39.4	38.5	39.4	—	51.7
Comfort	—	35.7	27.7	33.7	37.5	19.2
Capsize	—	1.64	1.90	1.61	1.62	2.19
Hull Speed	—	7.2	7.5	9.4	7.4	7.7