Design and Construction
Murray Ross specified a solid-fiberglass hull and solid-fiberglass deck, a straightforward composite approach that avoids the complications of cored construction.
The Ross 40’s ballast ratio is 42 percent, higher than that of two-thirds of comparable sailboat designs. Her lead fin keel gives a draft of roughly 7 to 7.3 feet, depending on load.
A length-to-beam ratio of 3.39 makes her slimmer than 58 percent of similar designs. Her displacement-length ratio of 106 puts her among the “light racers,” with 96 percent of comparable designs being heavier. An immersion rate of about 1,485 pounds per inch means added crew and gear will have a visible effect on how she sits in the water.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Ross 40 has a fractional sloop rig, with a reference sail area of 786 square feet for the mainsail and jib. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 26.1 with the standard reference sail and rises to 29.6 with a 135 percent genoa. In that configuration, she’s faster in light wind than every similar design in the comparison set.
The trade-off is a large rig. She carries more sail than 100 percent of those designs and is, by the same measure, significantly overrigged.
The running-rigging specifications are generous. Mainsail, jib, and spinnaker halyards are each 130.5 feet long and half an inch in diameter. Jib, genoa, and mainsheets range from 40.7 to 101.7 feet at 0.55 inch. The Cunningham, kicking strap, and clew outhaul are 12 mm. Wetted surface area is about 505 square feet.
Performance Profile
The Ross 40’s theoretical hull speed is 8.0 knots, consistent with her 35.5-foot waterline. Her high ballast ratio and slim beam help her stand up to canvas, while her light displacement and generous sail plan favor acceleration and light-air performance.
That performance comes with clear compromises. The capsize screening value is 2.19, which would exclude her from ocean-race acceptance under the standard test—a meaningful limitation for buyers considering offshore certification. Her Motion Comfort Ratio is 16.0, more comfortable than only 4 percent of similar designs. The Ross 40 is intended to sail briskly, not smooth out a chop.
Taken together, those figures place her closer to a performance-oriented coastal and moderate-weather cruiser than a heavy-displacement passage-maker.
Verdict
The Ross 40 is an early-1980s Murray Ross design that prioritizes speed and stiffness through light displacement, a high ballast ratio, and an overrigged fractional sloop sail plan. She’ll outrun nearly every peer in light air, but gives up motion comfort and ocean-race eligibility in return. Buyers should weigh that performance bias against their cruising grounds and their crew’s tolerance for a lively hull.
Pros
- Faster in light wind than 100 percent of similar designs, with an SA/D of 26.1 to 29.6
- Ballast ratio of 42 percent exceeds that of 66 percent of comparable designs
- Slim 3.39 length-to-beam ratio and light-racer DL classification aid acceleration
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.19 bars ocean-race acceptance
- Motion Comfort Ratio is higher than that of only 4 percent of similar designs
- Significantly overrigged relative to peer sail plans
