Design and Construction
X-Yachts built the X-402 in Haderslev on a solid fibreglass hull with a lead fin keel, offered in several keel alternatives that draw roughly 7.2 to 7.7 feet depending on load. At 39 feet 7 inches overall with a 12-foot 9-inch beam, she posts a length-to-beam ratio of 3.04, making her more beamy than 76 percent of comparable designs. Displacement sits near 13,450 pounds with 6,615 pounds of ballast, a 33 percent ballast ratio that exceeds only 18 percent of similar sailboats — light by cruising norms, but consistent with her racing pedigree. The hull's wetted surface runs about 516 square feet. A capsize screening value of 2.13 would bar her from sanctioned ocean races, a reminder that Jeppesen tuned her for inshore and coastal speed rather than heavy-weather survival margins.
Rig and Handling
The 402 was offered with a choice of fractional or masthead rig; the fractional version carries three spreaders with runners and rod standing rigging, rigged and equipped for racing with deck gear that works well under load. She is significantly overrigged — more heavily canvased than 88 percent of similar sailboats — and her sail area of 915 square feet drives a Relative Speed Performance of 88, placing her ahead of 88 percent of designs of her size. That power on a light hull is the heart of the boat. Halyard and sheet dimensions are substantial: mainsail and headsail halyards run 119 feet at half-inch diameter, the mainsheet is nearly 99 feet of 0.55-inch line, and spinnaker gear is sized accordingly, all pointing to a rig built to handle asymmetric and symmetric kites without fuss.
Accommodations
Below, the X-402 is fitted out as a comfortable but fast cruiser with four cabins and ten berths. The layout centers on twin mirror-image aft double cabins, each with a small locker and seating area, while the heads and a forepeak sit forward, the forepeak given over to sail and gear stowage. The Volvo diesel sits under a stowage and worktop box beside the galley, and access is genuinely good once that box hinges up to the deckhead — a detail cruisers will appreciate during routine service. Two small windows in the hull bottom let the owner eyeball weed on the folding prop without haulout, a tidy racing-derived touch.
Known Issues
A major factor in any X-402's condition is how hard she was raced and how much that life cost the finish and hull. The same competition history that makes her quick also means tired examples can show cosmetic and structural wear, and sail inventories range from very new and expensive to thoroughly worn.
The Verdict
The X-402 is a focused instrument: a light, overrigged Jeppesen design that translates one-design race speed into a practical twin-aft-cabin cruiser. She rewards an owner who values performance and clever access details over bluewater certification, and who can read a race-worn hull honestly.
Pros
- Fractional or masthead rig with rod standing rigging and racing-grade deck gear
- Light displacement with speed ahead of 88 percent of similar designs
- Twin aft double cabins with ten berths and good engine access
- Hull-bottom windows for folding-prop inspection
Cons
- Capsize screening bars her from ocean racing
- Race history can mean finish and hull damage on used examples
- Low ballast ratio by cruising standards
