The class deliberately preserved the character of an earlier age of yachting. A loophole in the rule permitted only four professional crew, with two more allowed when racing. That arrangement maintained the amateur ethos even as the boats proved themselves offshore.
Design and Construction
Herreshoff gave the NY40 a beam of 14 feet, matching the girth of his own NY50. Such width was uncharacteristic of the designer, and it attracted criticism at the time. Many contemporary observers considered the Forties somewhat compromised, citing their high freeboard and pronounced deadrise.
The numbers, however, describe a substantial yacht. At a loaded displacement of 48,200 pounds, with 24,555 pounds of lead on the fin, the ballast-to-displacement ratio is just under 51 percent. A comfort ratio of 46.3 points to a boat intended to carry crew and weather rather than simply chase rating points.
The 40-foot waterline and 8.16-foot draft produced a hull speed near 8.5 knots. A wooden hull and deck, solid construction without a core, and a skeg-hung rudder complete the picture: this was a traditional plank-on-frame yacht with a modern approach to ballast.
Rig and Handling
The first dozen boats left the builder as gaff-rigged sloops without bowsprits. The following year, the rig gained both increased sail area and a bowsprit. The reported sail plan carried 771 square feet on the gaff sloop, and some hulls were later converted to yawls. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 9.31 is modest by modern standards but ample for a heavy hull.
Period sailors regarded the type as forgiving and rugged. Edwin J. Schoettle described the New York 40’s as excellent, heavy-weather boats, having an ability to withstand all kinds of rough handling, both by men and weather. He added that he had been told a 40 had never been seen reefed. Writing about the designer’s work, Casper Whitney credited the boats with that Herreshoff characteristic of passing unperturbed through agitated waters.
The Forties also built an impressive offshore record. Two NY40s won the Bermuda Race as yawls. Rugosa II won the 1928 race overall, averaging 6.4 knots and finishing in 103 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds in a fleet of 25 starters. The class earned considerable success as a tough, seaworthy type.
Accommodations and Use
The one-design rule and crew limits shaped the Forties as racer-cruisers for gentleman owners. With four paid hands and two additional racing crew permitted, the arrangement suited both club courses and offshore passages.
The high freeboard that attracted criticism also provided interior volume unusual for a Herreshoff of the period, although the sources don’t describe the berth or cabin arrangements. Rugosa II was later converted to a jib-headed yawl for offshore cruising and racing, showing how individual owners adapted the class for long-distance work.
Known Issues and Maintenance
The principal concerns are historical and perceptual. Contemporary reviewers saw the high freeboard and pronounced deadrise as compromises. Wooden construction also demands vigilant maintenance in a way that later fiberglass boats do not.
The boats’ survival rate, however, argues against endemic weakness. Four of the original twelve 1916 hulls remain, and all of the 1925-built yachts still exist.
Surviving Boats and Ownership
Owning a surviving Forty means taking responsibility for a living museum piece that can still race. The six remaining NY40s continue to win races a century after their launch.
With only fourteen boats built, each hull has its own provenance. Rugosa II’s conversion to a jib-headed yawl for offshore service is one example of the class’s varied history. Its standing as the last large one-design class built by a single builder for the NYYC adds both to the stewardship burden and the reward of ownership.
The Verdict
The New York Yacht Club 40 is a wooden one-design with serious pedigree and proven offshore ability. Its beam and ballast represented a departure for Herreshoff, but they helped produce a seaworthy, heavy-air performer that has outlasted most of its contemporaries.
A Forty asks more of its owner than a modern production boat. In return, it offers a direct connection to sailing history and membership in a small class that’s still competing.
Pros
- Last large one-design class built by a single yard for the NYYC; fourteen hulls built and six still racing
- Heavy-weather toughness praised by period sailors
- Bermuda Race-winning record
- High ballast and comfort ratios suited to stable, capable passage-making
Cons
- High freeboard and pronounced deadrise drew contemporary criticism as compromises
- Wooden construction requires demanding upkeep, particularly after a century
- Class rules limited the number of professional crew
