Design and Construction
What strikes the eye first is the traditionally raked transom, a deliberate throwback that the designers used to stretch the deck and cockpit while holding down the aft girth measurement the rule penalized anchor. In plan view the bow is full and the stern pulled in; in profile the counter tucks up and the sheer reads as beautiful. The hull profile shows a gentle curve to the forefoot indicating deeply V-ed sections, and C&C clearly favored the highly swept keel paired with a scimitar rudder profile that the firm carried through a long series of designs. The boat is solid fiberglass with wood trim, an internally mounted spade rudder, and a swept fixed fin keel. With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.54 and a displacement-length ratio of 245, the 39 sits firmly in the moderate-displacement IOR idiom rather than the lithe CCA silhouette it replaced.
Rig and Handling
The IOR envelope let the C&C 39 carry a far larger rig than a Cal 40 for the same rating, and the numbers tell the story: the I dimension stands five feet taller than the Cal 40's, and the foretriangle runs almost 50 percent bigger than the mainsail area. That large foretriangle meant the boat could fly a huge spinnaker, and the combination made her very fast in light air and far faster upwind than the old CCA types. Period reviews found she would demolish the Cal 40 in light to moderate winds anchor, and the tall-mast version carries a PHRF average of 105. The deeply V-ed bow sections and swept keel gave her the manners of a true dual-purpose race/cruise boat, one that also proved herself an excellent offshore cruising vessel.
Accommodations
Below, the interior was nicely laid out and far roomier than the Cal 40's, a real benefit of the IOR-driven deck stretch. A subtle bubble superimposed on the house-top camber increases headroom aft, and the arrangement includes an expanded galley and pilot berths that one reviewer specifically praised. The result is a boat that balances race-cockpit practicality with cruise-friendly living space without resorting to the compromised compromises later charter layouts would impose.
The Verdict
The C&C 39 is a small production run with an outsized reputation: a genuine IOR pioneer that traded the old CCA sluggishness for a towering rig and a roomy, thoughtful interior. Forty-eight boats mean scarcity, but the design's dual-purpose character and offshore credentials keep it relevant for the sailor who wants a period-correct racer-cruiser with real speed.
Pros
- Among the first production boats designed to fit the IOR rule, with a rig far larger than comparable ratings allowed
- Very fast in light air and markedly quicker upwind than CCA-era boats
- Roomy, well-laid interior with a headroom-enhancing house bubble and expanded galley
Cons
- Only 48 built, limiting availability
- Gasoline Atomic 4 power in an era moving toward diesel
- IOR-derived transom and girth compromises date the hull form
