This is a heavy-displacement cruiser with a long keel and ketch rig, conceived for offshore passagemaking rather than weekend racing. Its proportions and performance ratios tell a consistent story about that purpose.
Design and Construction
Stadel’s 42-foot hull has a 34-foot waterline, a 12.5-foot beam, and a draft of 5.51 to 5.81 feet, depending on load. That moderate depth keeps the boat within the draft envelope of most marinas. Its length-to-beam ratio is 3.36, making it slimmer than 54 percent of comparable sailboat designs.
The solid-fiberglass hull carries 9,200 pounds of lead ballast. Its 32 percent ballast ratio is higher than only 14 percent of similar designs, making it lower than most peers. A displacement-to-length ratio of 324 places the Westwind 42 firmly among heavy cruisers, with 24 percent of similar designs weighing more.
That mass is deliberate. An immersion rate of about 1,480 pounds per inch means the boat sits deep and responds reluctantly to added load. It also has a Motion Comfort Ratio of 41.6, making it more comfortable than 93 percent of similar designs. Wetted surface is about 462 square feet, while a capsize screening value of 1.64 indicates a stability profile suited to open water.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig defines the Westwind 42’s handling. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.88 means it carries more rig than 46 percent of similar sailboats, leaving it slightly underrigged on paper.
The divided sail plan allows a short-handed crew to manage smaller individual sails than a comparable single-masted rig would require. The boat’s theoretical hull speed is 7.8 knots, the natural limit for a displacement hull of this waterline length.
The running rigging reflects a practical cruising arrangement:
- Mainsail, jib, and spinnaker halyards are each about 106 feet long and half an inch in diameter.
- Jib and genoa sheets are 42 feet long and 0.55 inches in diameter.
- The mainsheet is 105 feet long and uses the same heavier 0.55-inch diameter.
Accommodations
No authority itemizes the Westwind 42’s berth count or cabin details, so firm claims about its liveaboard layout can’t be made. Its 42-foot length and 12.5-foot beam nevertheless provide the footprint for a substantial cruising interior. The comfort ratios also suggest a hull intended for living aboard at sea rather than sprinting around the buoys.
Verdict
The Westwind 42 is a purpose-built heavy cruiser whose numbers describe a stable, comfortable offshore ketch rather than a strong light-air performer. Stadel’s design relies on ballast and beam for seakeeping, while the long keel and moderate draft make it a practical marina visitor despite its displacement.
The boat is slightly undercanvased for its weight, but the ketch configuration helps cruising crews manage the sail plan.
Pros
- More comfortable than 93 percent of similar designs by Motion Comfort Ratio
- Heavy-cruiser displacement and lead ballast for offshore stability
- Moderate 5.5–5.8-foot draft allows access to most marinas
- Ketch rig divides sail handling into more manageable loads for a short-handed crew
Cons
- Slightly underrigged compared with similar sailboats, with an SA/D of 12.88
- High immersion rate limits load flexibility
- Slimmer than most peers, with a lower ballast ratio than most comparable designs
