This is a pure racing machine. The project type is listed simply as Racing, Monohull, and every recorded result in its history is a class or overall win—not a cruising credential.
Design and Construction
The Ker 40+ measures 12.55 meters overall, with a beam of 4.18 meters and a draft of 2.90 meters. It displaces 4,178 kilograms. Those figures describe a narrow, deep, light hull shaped for speed under the Fast40+ rule rather than volume below.
McConaghy built the boat in carbon/epoxy/foam, as stated by the designer. It carries an ISO Structural rating of A and an ISO OSR rating of 1; the latter indicates that it was built to offshore special-regulation standards for serious competition.
As a one-design build, every hull should match the same tooling and specification, allowing the class to race on equal terms.
Rig and Sail Plan
Southern Spars supplied the spars, Lewmar the deck hardware, and B&G the electrical systems. These grand-prix suppliers suit a boat with 98 square meters of upwind sail area and 248 square meters downwind.
The background specifications list a masthead-sloop rig and spade rudder. Together with the sail plan, they create a powerful, easily driven platform. A base rating of 1.266 under the Fast40+ rule places the boat among the quicker entries in that band. Its low displacement and tall rig help explain its string of podium finishes.
Performance Record
The Ker 40+ didn’t merely compete on the Fast40+ circuit; it dominated the early seasons. In 2015, it finished first overall in the first Fast40+ race and first in class in the Round the Island Race. It closed 2016 with first overall in Fast40+ Series Round 5.
The 2017 season brought a sweep:
- First in class at the UK IRC National Championship Fast 40 Class
- First in class at the RORC Vice Admirals Cup Fast 40 Class
- First in class at the Fast40+ Easter Challenge
- First in class at the RORC Easter Challenge Fast 40
- First overall in the Fast 40 Season Championship
- First overall in the UK FAST40+ IRC National Championship
The design was still winning in 2020, taking first in Division A under both IRC and PHRF in the Edgartown Yacht Club Round the Island Race.
That record makes the clearest case for the Ker 40+. In the designer’s words, it is a highly successful design, backed by five years of silverware.
The Verdict
The McConaghy Ker 40+ is a focused one-design racer built in carbon/epoxy/foam to the Fast40+ rule. It combines offshore-rated structure with a grand-prix rig and electronics suite.
Its record from 2015 through 2020 shows sustained class and overall wins—the strongest possible endorsement of the design’s speed and consistency. This is a competition platform proven by results, not a cruiser with belowdeck amenities.
Pros
- One-design construction to the Fast40+ rule for level racing
- Carbon/epoxy/foam construction with ISO Structural A and OSR 1 ratings
- Southern Spars, Lewmar, and B&G grand-prix equipment
- Dominant race record from 2015 to 2020, including the 2017 UK FAST40+ IRC National Championship
Cons
- Racing monohull with no described cruising accommodations
- Focused competition platform rather than a dual-purpose boat
