Designed primarily for single-handed or double-handed racing, the Class 40-footers high-performance monohulls have been a fixture in such East Coast distance races as Newport to Bermuda and Marblehead to Halifax. Now the Class 40 is coming to the historic Annapolis to Newport Race. Organizers with Annapolis YC (AYC) announced that the sleek, fast, and exciting ocean racers will be the “featured class” for the 2015 edition of the offshore classic.
“We were hoping to get a marquee class to participate in next year’s race, and the Class 40 certainly qualifies,” said Dick Neville, co-chairman of the event. “These are very innovative, high-tech offshore boats and will add an exciting element to an already premier event.”
Michael Hennessy, North American representative for the International Class 40 Association, is confident at least five of the speedy boats will compete in Annapolis-to-Newport. Hennessy will race his boat named Dragon, which he has campaigned since 2009 and averaged almost 4000 nautical miles a year. Pleiad (Ed Cesare, Newport, RI), Toothface (Mike Dreese, Boston, MA) and Amhas (Micah Davis and Brian Harris, Portland, ME) have also tentatively agreed to participate in the East Coast Ocean Series.
Watch Dragon in the 2013 Pineapple Cup Regatta.
Class 40s are water-ballasted and feature twin rudders. Cesare said the boats are “a little sticky” in light air, but revel in heavy winds. Like most offshore designs, the Class 40 is best suited to power reaching, and Cesare has seen a top speed of 26 knots. While the Class 40 has been wildly popular in Europe from the outset, it has only recently seen a rapid growth in North America with a total of 20 boats, 14 of which are based on the East Coast.
The 35th edition of the Annapolis to Newport Race will start June 5 and 6. annapolisnewportrace.com
