Design and Construction
The hull and deck are laminated as a sandwich of isophthalic polyester resins and biaxial E-glass fabric around a compressed Divinycell core, with extra biaxial E-glass laid into the high-stress zones around keel and rudder X-40 - Practical Sailor. A hot-galvanized steel frame absorbs the combined loads from keel, mast, and rig, and the hull-deck joint is locked with polyester resin and through-bolts. Structural bulkheads of marine plywood from 1/3 to 7/8 inch are bonded to both hull and deck, and the cored hull itself is light and stiff. The keel is a cast-iron fin carrying a lead bulb enclosed in GRP and faired with polyester compound before leaving the factory; the rudder blade pairs biaxial fiberglass with Divinycell, turning on a tapered solid-aluminium stock strengthened by three welded wings with roller upper and self-aligning lower bearings. The boat meets CE category A (ocean) requirements and the builder states it fulfills ABS Hull Certification.
Rig and Handling
Jeppesen gave the X-40 a high-aspect, three-quarter fractional rig on a tapered triple-spreader anodized aluminium mast designed specifically for the boat, with the mast collar and mast blocks integrated into the deck structure. Discontinuous stainless rod standing rigging with rod turnbuckles deadends in tip cups linked to a stainless tie rod under the deck and thence to hull side stringers. Spectra halyards and control lines run to Spinlock stoppers on the cabintop. The mainsheet is the notable feature: a German system of four ball-bearing blocks, trimmed from the cockpit coaming, leading from traveller to boom and forward to the mast before dropping near the shrouds and reappearing at Anderson 40 winches just aft of the primaries. A 135% jib on load-adjustable Fredericksen cars lets the crew fine-tune without leaving the cockpit. On the water, test sailors saw 5 knots of boatspeed in 0–6 knots of wind while pointing within 35 degrees of apparent wind, and under the Yanmar 40 hp the boat motored at 7 knots at 2,300 rpm, turning smartly in her own length.
Accommodations
Both offered layouts place the galley to starboard opposite the nav station. The test boat carried two aft staterooms and a forward skipper's quarters with head; the alternative is a two-stateroom, two-head version. Hand-polished teak veneers with satin finish and teak laminate floorboards finished the main saloon, 11 feet 2 inches long with 6 feet 3 inches of headroom and 6 foot 7 inch settees. A trapezoid leaf table with bottle locker sits far enough to starboard for centerline passage. The L-galley holds a four-cubic-foot top-opening icebox on a Coolmatic 85 unit, twin stainless sinks, granite counters, 10-inch drawers, and a gimballed Techimpex two-burner oven stove. The forward stateroom's V-berth runs 6 feet 4 inches on centerline with full-length hullside cabinets; each aft cabin in the three-cabin version has a 7 foot double berth, separated by a fixed bulkhead that also serves as a sound barrier, with deep hullside shelves. The confining head measures just 3 feet 3 inches by 3 feet.
Equipment and Deck Detail
On deck, a 66-inch leather wheel on rack-and-pinion steering sits aft of 9 feet 1 inch of cockpit centerline, with shallow sole lockers and corner lockers for propane. The dodger stows in a cabintop trough nearly flush when down, with a zippered synthetic-leather cover and a height low enough for a 5 foot 10 inch driver to see over. Teak toerail steps down from 1 1/4 to 3/4 inch abaft the mast; double lifelines through eight tall stanchions meet EC and ORC rules. A two-piece engine cover eases removal, the Yanmar sits on rubber shock absorbers with a 16-inch folding prop, and a timed bilge blower runs two minutes after depowering.
The Verdict
The X-40 is a thoughtfully engineered 40-footer that translates X-Yachts' performance-cruiser ethos into a livable, well-built package. The deck-led mainsheet, rigid structure, and ocean-rated certification mark it as a serious voyager's boat, while the teak interior and clever stowage show cruising polish. The head is the one clear compromise.
Pros
- Light, stiff cored hull with integrated steel frame and ocean-rated CE-A certification
- Cockpit-trimmed German mainsheet system with secure deck-structure routing
- Two genuine aft double berths and a full-beam forward stateroom in the three-cabin layout
- Strong, detailed deck hardware meeting EC/ORC lifeline standards
Cons
- Confining head compartment at 3′ 3″ x 3′
