The French Class 40 box rule limits length, weight, height, beam, and draft while prohibiting exotic construction materials and canting keels. Within those limits, the Akilaria is a water-ballasted thoroughbred intended for both shorthanded offshore racers and speed-hungry cruisers. Production began in 2007. The boat is offered in standard and race versions, with the race version adding a more exotic deck layout, a more complex electronics package, and a carbon boom.
Design and Construction
Lombard’s hull combines controlled volume with proportions pushed to the limits of the rule. The Akilaria measures 40 feet both overall and on the waterline, with a beam of 14 feet 8 inches—the class maximum. Its transom is 93 percent of maximum beam. Paired with chines aft and no forward chine below the design waterline, that unusually broad stern gives the boat its distinctive, planing-friendly shape.
The half-angle of entry at the deck is 26.5 degrees, while the sheer spring is genuinely handsome rather than merely functional. The boat displaces 10,628 pounds and carries 4,594 pounds of ballast, placing it firmly in the light-displacement racer camp.
The hull uses a relatively low-tech, balsa-cored laminate infused with vinylester resin throughout. The deck is PVC-foam-cored, with hardwood inserts in high-load areas. MC-TEC built the boat on the coast of Tunisia. The keel fin is steel, and the twin rudders turn on solid stainless-steel stocks.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The fractional sloop rig places the mast well aft, shortening the foretriangle. A 2,052-square-foot asymmetrical chute flies from a bowsprit-style arrangement rather than a conventional pole.
The jib-sheeting system uses three widely spaced pad eyes with blocks arranged in a triangle: two on deck and one on the housetop. Control lines lead to a titanium rig through which the jib sheet passes. The chainplates are external and positioned at the sheer.
The small, widely spaced twin rudders are cross-linked and need only short tillers. Between them, a tall centerline console carries the mainsheet and traveler controls. Primary and secondary winches are close to the helmsman, while the halyard winches flank the companionway hatch. The arrangement keeps every control within a step of a shorthanded crew.
Interior, Tankage, and Cruising Use
As the box rule’s concession to cruising, the standard version has a spartan but usable offshore interior. The race version gives up some livability in exchange for its more exotic deck layout and complex electronics.
Tankage is minimal: 13 gallons of water and 23 gallons of fuel. That limited capacity suits racing more than cruising. Its single Nanni 3.100 diesel serves as a fallback rather than the primary means of propulsion.
The broad transom and beamy midbody create a voluminous aft section. A draft of 9 feet 11 inches, however, rewards competent seamanship rather than casual gunkholing and restricts the boat’s cruising grounds.
Performance Profile
With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 41.11 and a displacement-length ratio of 74.14, the Akilaria is quick in the conditions encouraged by the Class 40 rule. Reaching and running in a moderate to fresh breeze allow the water ballast and broad stern to come into play.
Hull speed may be a theoretical ceiling, but the light construction and efficient rig mean the boat will surf readily when the aft chines engage. Its low comfort figure confirms that this is a thoroughbred rather than a couch.
Verdict
The Akilaria 40 is a serious shorthanded offshore platform that also carries a cruising passport. Lombard’s beam-maximized hull and far-aft rig give it a distinctive presence on any starting line, while the infused balsa-cored hull keeps weight where the rule allows.
It isn’t a boat for the faint of heart—or for shallow water. For the speed-hungry sailor, however, it delivers Class 40 adrenaline without the complexity of a canting keel.
Pros
- Built to the French Class 40 box rule, with water ballast and no exotic materials
- Broad beam at the class limit, with aft chines contributing to a planing-friendly hull shape
- Cockpit controls clustered for shorthanded sailing
- First Class 40 design available in the United States
Cons
- Deep 9-foot 11-inch draft limits cruising grounds
- Minimal tankage favors racing over cruising
- Race version sacrifices livability for its deck layout and electronics
