Design and Construction
F. Michael Kaufman and Robert A. Ladd designed the Nimbus 42 in the early eighties. Albin Marin AB built her in Sweden.
Both the hull and deck are molded fiberglass without cores, keeping the structure straightforward and repairable. Her 12.5-foot beam and 41.4-foot length produce a length-to-beam ratio of 3.32. This gives her more interior volume than half of comparable designs. Her ballast ratio is higher than that of 88 percent of similar sailboats, indicating a very high ability to resist heeling under sail.
Rig, Keel, and Performance
The Nimbus 42 carries a cutter rig. Using the ISO 8666 reference sail area, her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 17.7; with a 135 percent genoa, it rises to 21.2. That puts her ahead of 54 percent of similar designs for light-air speed. Even so, the rig is slightly undercanvased relative to her peers, carrying more rig than only 46 percent of comparable boats.
Depending on load, the fin keel draws between 1.77 and 1.87 meters, shallow enough for most marina entrances. Under power, the calculated maximum speed is about 6.6 knots, compared with a theoretical hull speed of 7.8 knots.
Her displacement-length ratio of 240 places her among moderate racers, with 58 percent of similar designs being heavier. A capsize screening value of 1.80 means that, by that formula alone, she could be accepted for ocean racing.
Accommodations and Comfort
Headroom is above average for the class. The beamy 3.32 length-to-beam proportion also translates into a layout more spacious than those of 50 percent of similar sailboat designs.
A Motion Comfort Ratio of 31.4 makes the Nimbus 42 more comfortable than 58 percent of comparable boats, in line with the available comfort data. Her immersion rate is about 265 kg per centimeter (1,489 pounds per inch), describing how heavily she settles as gear and water are added.
The Verdict
The Nimbus 42 is a thoughtfully proportioned Swedish cutter that pairs a stiff, heavily ballasted hull with a slightly conservative rig. Her numbers suggest strong resistance to heeling, above-average comfort and interior volume, and the ability to handle moderate racing or extended cruising without exotic maintenance. The underrigged sail plan is the one area a performance-minded owner may wish to address.
Pros
- Ballast ratio higher than that of 88 percent of similar designs, providing very high resistance to heeling
- Above-average headroom and a layout more spacious than half of comparable designs
- Motion Comfort Ratio better than those of 58 percent of similar boats
- Capsize screening value that permits ocean-race eligibility by formula
Cons
- Slightly undercanvased compared with peer sailboats
- Moderate racer classification rather than bluewater-dedicated
