Designed by the legendary Sparkman & Stephens naval architecture firm and built by Danish yard A. Walsteds beginning in 1982, this 42-footer represents classic Scandinavian craftsmanship married to proven American design principles. The fiberglass construction and thoughtful proportions create a substantial cruising sailboat well-suited for serious offshore passages and extended coastal exploration. With its fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder configuration, the Walstead 42 strikes an excellent balance between performance and seaworthiness. The relatively deep 7.09-foot draft provides impressive stability and windward ability, while the 22,000-pound displacement gives her the heft needed to handle challenging conditions with confidence. The conservative comfort ratio of 34.43 and favorable capsize screening value of 1.74 reinforce this boat's credentials as a genuine blue-water cruiser. The masthead sloop rig delivers respectable performance with 811 square feet of sail area, achieving a theoretical hull speed of 7.67 knots. Danish build quality from the Walsteds yard was renowned for attention to detail and robust construction methods. This combination of Sparkman & Stephens' time-tested design philosophy and European craftsmanship created a boat capable of taking crews safely across oceans while providing comfortable accommodations for extended cruising.
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What is the Walstead 42's sail area to displacement ratio?
The Walstead 42 has a Sail Area to Displacement ratio (SA/D) of 16.59. Values between 14–18 are typical cruising sailboats; 18–22 is cruiser/racer; over 22 is performance racing.
What is the Walstead 42's comfort ratio?
The Walstead 42 has a Ted Brewer Comfort Ratio of 34.43. A ratio over 30 indicates good offshore comfort; over 40 is very comfortable offshore.
Is the Walstead 42 safe for offshore sailing?
The Walstead 42 has a Capsize Screening Formula value of 1.74. Values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing; under 1.8 is ideal.
What is the hull speed of the Walstead 42?
The theoretical hull speed of the Walstead 42 is 7.67 kn knots, calculated from its waterline length.
How much does a Walstead 42 weigh?
The Walstead 42 has a displacement of 22,000.00 lb and a length overall (LOA) of 41.90 ft.
Who designed the Walstead 42?
The Walstead 42 was designed by Sparkman & Stephens, first built in 1982.