She measures 40 feet overall, with a 32.5-foot waterline, and displaces 21,000 pounds. Her 8,800 pounds of lead ballast sits in a fin keel, and the rudder is skeg-hung. A displacement-to-length ratio of 273 places this moderate racer’s profile toward the seakindly cruising end of the spectrum.
Design and Construction
The hull and deck are both solid fiberglass, with no core. The boat has a 13-foot-8-inch beam and a 7-foot draft. Her ballast-to-displacement ratio is 41.9 percent, contributing to a vessel designed to stay upright in a seaway. The comfort ratio is 30.4, and the capsize screening value is 1.9.
The theoretical hull speed is 7.7 knots, compared with a calculated maximum near 4.7 knots. This is a heavy hull that carries load rather than races. Capacities of 100 gallons of water and 83 gallons of diesel suit extended periods away from the dock.
Rig and Handling
The Standfast 40 is a masthead sloop carrying 819 square feet of sail. The running-rigging dimensions are substantial:
- Mainsail, jib-genoa, and spinnaker halyards: 38.2 m of 12 mm line
- Jib and genoa sheets: 14 mm
- Mainsheet: 30.5 m of 14 mm line
- Spinnaker sheet: 26.8 m of 14 mm line
- Cunningham: 4.2 m of 12 mm line
- Kicking strap and clew outhaul: 8.5 m of 12 mm line
Depending on load, the fin keel draws 7.41–7.71 feet, so the boat can only enter major marinas.
Accommodations and Equipment
The 40-foot length and 13-foot-8-inch beam provide useful cruising volume. A 25 hp Volvo Penta MD28 complements the boat’s 100-gallon water and 83-gallon diesel capacities for passage-making.
Teak decks, heating, and a chartplotter are commonly fitted. A spinnaker, bimini, radar, AIS, and autopilot are also often seen.
Known Issues
Draft-dependent marina access is the main operational caveat. The long halyard and sheet runs also mean that lines of unknown age warrant a full rigging refresh.
Refits, Engines, and Ownership
The builder closed in 2008. The designer’s yard had restarted under the Standfast name after a 1993 bankruptcy, so continuing support now rests with the owner community.
The Volvo Penta MD28 is long-lived, but the engine in every example is now decades beyond its first service.
Verdict
The Standfast 40 is a measured, solidly built Frans Maas design whose generous tankage matches her displacement. She’s no light-air rocket, but she’s a boat that can be loaded for a season.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck, with no core
- 8,800 lb of lead ballast and a seakindly 273 D/L ratio
- 100 gal of water and 83 gal of fuel for extended cruising
- Robust original running-rigging dimensions
Cons
- 7.4–7.7 ft draft limits marina access
- A calculated maximum of 4.7 knots indicates a slow hull
- The builder is defunct, leaving support to the owner network
