With unstayed aluminium masts and wraparound sails above a traditional long-keel hull with a centreboard, the design rejected the standing-rigging orthodoxy of its day while retaining a deliberately old-fashioned underwater profile. Around 90 boats were built, mostly by Tillotson Pearson in Rhode Island, with a few completed by Freedom Yachts in the UK. Today, the Freedom 40 CC remains a distinctive, if quirky, candidate for serious cruising.
Design and Construction
At Hoyt’s request, Herreshoff drew what was essentially a traditional long-keel hull, with a spoon bow, a wineglass transom and a centreboard. Owners familiar with the boat describe a really sweet underwater shape, not unlike that of a working boat or smack, with slack bilges, a centreplate, and some flare in the bow.
The hull is a sturdy fibreglass layup. Later examples paired it with carbon-fibre masts and wooden wishbones, a rig configuration carried by many boats. The deck is steeply cambered and has no coachroof, creating a broad, open working area forward of the cockpit. The cockpit itself is deep and secure, benefiting from the beam of the wide stern. A large coaming provides protection and creates a sheltered stowage area for deck gear.
The original boat combined a large centre cockpit with an enormous aft cabin. Its dark green hull and brown sails were Hoyt’s deliberate expression of a “proper colour for a proper yacht.”
The design was offered in several hull configurations: the original centreboard version; a shallow-draught model with a stub fin keel and slightly smaller rig; and a fin-keel version with a tall rig. Displacement is 20,000 pounds, with 5,530 pounds of ballast.
Rig and Handling
The Freedom 40’s defining feature is its cat-ketch rig: twin wraparound sails set on unstayed aluminium masts with wishbone booms. The forward mast stands far forward, and there is no jib or genoa at all.
The absence of standing rigging reduces deck clutter and the structural stresses associated with standing rigging. It also allows each mast to bend as the wind strengthens, spilling wind from the top of the sail, where it is least wanted. This flexibility helps the boat remain on an even keel in gusts, making the arrangement well suited to family sailing. The wraparound sails provide a clean trailing edge and maximise sail area.
The unstayed rig also allows the sails to be eased beyond 90 degrees when goosewinging. Its particular trick is that the foresail can be set on the “wrong” side and carried by the lee to a considerable degree, reducing the fear of gybing.
The prototype beat all comers in its class at Antigua Week in 1976, and Hoyt claimed unusual speed and sensitivity to windward. Performance became less impressive once the boat was laden with an engine and other modern conveniences, although it remained tolerably quick, especially off the wind.
Test sailors found its off-wind performance exceptional but not so good to windward. Owners likewise report that it isn’t as quick as some boats, but is more comfortable in a seaway, great downwind, and steadier than many modern yachts that overtake the wind too quickly.
Carbon-fibre masts were a natural and beneficial development, saving 30 percent in weight while increasing stiffness. Eventually, many boats changed to conventional sails with regular booms and sail tracks instead of wishbones and sleeves. On boats that retain the sleeve sails, an electric winch in the cockpit is essential.
Accommodation and Deck Space
For a design of its age, the Freedom 40 is amazingly spacious below. Two decent cabins, the heads, and a large galley all sit aft of the generous saloon, with the heads opposite the galley. In the original centre-cockpit layout, the aft cabin is enormous.
Headroom over the galley is good, though the lack of hatches leaves the interior rather dark.
On deck, the solid ground tackle and good working space at the bow are well used when cruising. There is also enough room to carry a solid dinghy in chocks.
Known Issues
The unstayed mast arrangement has a known failure mode. In rough seas, a mast can break loose and potentially hole the hull; this is commonly due to the tangs that hold the mast in place failing.
Lowering the sails can also be difficult because of friction between the sleeves and masts. This is a particular concern on boats that retain the original wraparound rig rather than the later conventional sail plan.
Refits and Ownership
Many Freedom 40s have moved away from the original wishbone-and-sleeve rig in favour of conventional booms and sail tracks. This refit eases sail work and removes the need for the cockpit electric winch demanded by sleeve sails. The carbon-fibre mast option reduces weight and adds stiffness.
The choice of centreboard, stub-fin, or fin-keel configurations allows buyers to select a boat suited to their cruising grounds. With its 20,000-pound displacement and 5,530 pounds of ballast, the Freedom 40 has the settled, seakindly character that owners value for extended family cruising.
The Verdict
The Freedom 40 CC is a genuinely individual cruiser. It trades outright windward pace for comfort, a simple rig, and a roomy, secure hull. Its unstayed cat-ketch rig remains both its greatest strength and its principal caveat: it frees the deck of standing rigging, but in heavy going it depends on mast tangs that must be trusted.
Pros
- Unstayed rig eliminates standing-rigging clutter and reduces structural stress
- Spacious, secure centre-cockpit layout with a large aft cabin
- Comfortable, steady sea boat with particular ability off the wind
- Several keel configurations for different cruising grounds
Cons
- A mast can break loose in rough seas if its tangs fail, risking hull penetration
- Original sleeve rig can make sail lowering difficult because of friction
- Windward performance suffers once the boat is laden with an engine and gear
