The model arrived after C&C had moved from its founding public-company era into private ownership. Jim Plaxton and Stanley Deluce bought the marque in 1981. The design is credited to Robert W. Ball, then chief designer at C&C Design.
Design and Construction
The Landfall 43 has a more modern hull shape than the Landfall 42, with a slightly longer waterline and refined lines. The hull is solid fiberglass, with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for balanced handling and protection.
The boat measures 42.08 feet overall, with a 34.42-foot waterline and a 12.62-foot beam. Displacement is near 23,000 pounds, including about 10,000 pounds of ballast. That 37 percent ballast ratio contributes to a steady, planted feel.
Wetted surface is about 473 square feet. An immersion rate of roughly 1,515 pounds per inch means the boat settles predictably under cruising load. A capsize screening value of 1.74 and motion comfort ratio of 35.1 place the Landfall 43 firmly in the comfortable offshore-cruiser category rather than the lightweight racing lineage.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The standard rig was a masthead sloop, though a cutter rig was common for greater versatility. Some ketch variants were also offered for easier shorthanded management and better heavy-weather balance. By dividing the sail plan, the ketch option reduces the load carried by each individual sail.
The masthead sloop has a reference sail area of 771 square feet. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 14.6 under reference sail and rises to 17.4 with a 135 percent genoa. That’s a useful increase for light-air passages without making the boat a handful.
The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder give balanced handling. Draft is around 5.5 feet, depending on load, allowing the boat to enter most marinas. The theoretical displacement-hull speed is 7.9 knots, while the calculated maximum under engine is about 6.7 knots.
Accommodations and Tankage
The Landfall 43 is known for a spacious, practical interior with generous tankage. It carries 145 US gallons of fresh water and 70 US gallons of fuel. Those capacities support extended liveaboard use and long coastal passages without constant resupply.
The boat is often praised for its ample storage, comfortable motion, and reliable behavior in trade-wind conditions or heavy seas. That profile fits the comfort-oriented development of the Landfall series rather than that of a stripped-out racer-cruiser.
The Verdict
The Landfall 43 was a considered early-1980s answer to the question of what a comfortable, self-sufficient 43-foot cruiser should be. It combines a refined evolution of the Landfall 42 hull with solid-fiberglass construction, versatile rig choices, and tankage suited to covering real distance.
It isn’t a performance thoroughbred, but its numbers and reported behavior suit a cruising couple or small family, whether living aboard or heading offshore.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass construction
- Fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
- Spacious, practical interior
- 145 US gallons of water and 70 US gallons of fuel
- Standard masthead sloop, with cutter and ketch options for versatility
- Comfortable motion and reliable behavior in trade-wind conditions or heavy seas
Cons
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio under reference sail
