Olson 40 Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Monohull · fin

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

40.33' · 12.29 m

Disp.

10,350 lbs · 4,695 kg

First year

1982

The Olson 40 stands as a definitive benchmark of the UltraLight Displacement Boat (ULDB) movement that revolutionized West Coast sailing in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Designed by George Olson and manufactured by Pacific Boat Works in Santa Cruz, California, the Olson 40 was envisioned as a larger, more offshorecapable evolution of the iconic Olson 30. While the 30 was a "pocket rocket" primarily suited for coastal sprints, the 40foot variant introduced a level of stability and waterline length that allowed it to dominate prestigious longdistance races like the Transpac. The design philosophy centers on a narrow beam, a deep fin keel, and a remarkably light hull—typically displacing approximately 11,000 to 12,000 pounds—which allows the vessel to plane in conditions that would leave traditional cruiserracers displacementlocked.