Grand Soleil 40 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The more common configuration on the used market is the standard three-cabin arrangement: a substantial forward owner's cabin with a queen centerline berth, a main saloon with a C-shaped dinette and a stand-alone centerline bench, a galley to port, a navigation station to starboard, and twin quarter cabins beneath the cockpit. Both quarter cabins have standing headroom and double berths with split mattresses that accept lee cloths, making them usable as sea berths underway. Within this layout, used examples vary on one meaningful detail: whether the forward cabin was fitted with the optional en-suite head. Both the single-head and two-head arrangements appear on the brokerage market, and the distinction matters for liveaboard use or extended family passages. The two-head option is the more sought-after configuration and is worth identifying early in your search.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used Grand Soleil 40s routinely arrive well-equipped by their original European owners. A chartplotter, autopilot, AIS, and life raft are commonly fitted, and heating is commonly fitted on boats that circulated in northern European waters. Teak decks are a factory option that many owners specified and that adds warmth underfoot but demands inspection of its own. A spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker is a frequent part of the sail inventory, reflecting how this boat was marketed and sailed.

Beyond the base equipment, owners often added a gennaker for downwind versatility, a cockpit shower, hot water, and an inverter for household AC power. A meaningful number of boats received electric winches — a practical upgrade on a boat whose sail plan rewards quick and precise trimming — and bow thrusters are not unusual on boats that spent time in crowded Mediterranean marinas. Dinghy davits, solar panels, and satellite communications equipment represent a later wave of owner upgrades that appear with increasing frequency on better-provisioned examples. An EPIRB is worth confirming in the inventory regardless of what the listing states.

What to Inspect

The Grand Soleil 40 is a well-constructed boat, but several specifics warrant careful attention during survey.

The structural grid is the single most important item to investigate. An epoxy-coated galvanized-steel grid is bonded inside the hull to carry the loads from the chainplates, keel, and mast step. Cruising World's Boat of the Year judges flagged uncertainty about long-term corrosion in this mild steel structure, even as the builder expressed confidence in the coating system. The entire grid is accessible through screw-held sole panels, so have your surveyor remove them and inspect thoroughly for any rust weeping, coating failure, or water accumulation in the bilge beneath.

The hull laminate — unidirectional fiberglass and vinylester resin with a cross-linked PVC foam core above the waterline and in the deck — is a quality layup, but PVC core in the deck should be tapped for delamination, particularly around hardware penetrations and chainplate bases.

The companionway boards use a self-stowing system that leaves a finger-width gap at the bottom when closed, which is a meaningful concern for offshore use. Confirm that a previous owner has addressed this, either with a custom seal or a replacement board arrangement.

The galley deserves specific attention: the stainless double sink seacock can be submerged when the boat is well heeled on starboard tack, so confirm it is functional and that the owner knows to close it at sea. The two-burner stove has a factory rubber stop that limits swing; cruising owners often remove it and fit a proper guardrail, and you should verify the current state.

Cabin-top handrails do not extend forward of the mast, which limits safe crew movement on deck in a blow. This is a design characteristic rather than a defect, but it shapes how you equip and crew the boat; assess whether jacklines or additional handholds have been fitted.

The Volvo Penta saildrive is a robust unit but saildrives as a class require periodic bellows inspection and replacement. Confirm when the bellows were last serviced, and check the saildrive leg for any corrosion or impact damage. The folding two-bladed propeller should be inspected for blade condition and smooth operation.

The long, low boom is a known hazard for the unwary: check the boom vang and associated hardware for any signs of overstress.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Grand Soleil 40 circulates primarily within the European brokerage market, with the strongest concentration in Spain, Italy, and France — reflecting both where the boat was built and where it was enthusiastically raced and cruised. Examples also appear in Ireland, Slovenia, and Malta, among other Mediterranean and Atlantic-facing ports. North American availability is thinner; buyers on that side of the Atlantic should expect to either import from Europe or exercise patience waiting for a well-traveled example to surface domestically.

For the right buyer, this is a compelling used-market proposition: Italian build quality, a designer pedigree rooted in competitive racing, and a genuinely usable interior. It suits an experienced sailor comfortable with a performance-oriented hull who wants to race on weekends and cruise with purpose, rather than someone prioritizing sheer interior volume or shallow-draft coastal accessibility.

Before committing, work through this checklist:

• Remove all cabin sole panels and inspect the galvanized-steel structural grid for rust, coating failure, and bilge water intrusion
• Tap the entire deck surface, especially around hardware penetrations, for PVC core delamination
• Confirm the companionway boards seal fully at the bottom, and verify any remediation that has been done
• Check the Volvo Penta saildrive bellows condition and service history
• Verify the galley sink seacock opens and closes freely and that the crew is in the habit of closing it offshore
• Inspect the keel-hull joint for any movement, staining, or bedding failure
• Confirm sail inventory completeness — main, genoa, and downwind sail at minimum
• Clarify the head arrangement (single vs. two heads) and whether the forward cabin has the en-suite option
• Test all deck hardware, winches, and furling gear for smooth operation
• Confirm life raft service date and EPIRB registration