OLSON 40
Description
The Olson 40 is a high-performance American racer-cruiser designed by George Olson (Santa Cruz-based designer and builder, a pioneer in ultralight displacement boats or ULDBs from the Santa Cruz scene). It was built by Pacific Boats Inc. (Santa Cruz, CA) from 1982 to 1986, with 30 hulls constructed in fiberglass (GRP) emphasizing lightweight construction, a fin keel with spade rudder for agile handling and speed, and a masthead sloop rig (with some sailplan variations over the run, including mast position adjustments for balance). It's renowned for excellent performance (fast and responsive in moderate winds, good upwind pointing, and strong downwind surfing potential), seaworthiness for its light displacement (proven in events like Transpac races), and a practical racer-cruiser interior (V-berth forward, settees, galley, heads, and storage for coastal/offshore use). Owners praise its balance, stiffness, and fun factor—often called a "big pussycat" that's rewarding to sail singlehanded or with crew, though it can be wet in heavy conditions due to low freeboard and open transom-like feel.
Construction Details
| Designer | George Olson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pacific Boat Works |
| Length | 40.000 ft |
| LOA | 40.330 ft |
| LWL | 36.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.330 ft |
| Displacement | 10350 lb |
| Ballast | 5500 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1982 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15.50 ft |
| p | 44.50 ft |
| e | 14.25 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | 15.50 ft | 44.50 ft | 14.25 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
OLSON 40 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 44.5 ft - (13564 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.25 ft - (4343 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.98 ft - (14015 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 46.25 ft - (14097 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 326.57 ft² |
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OLSON 40 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 41.88 ft - (12765 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.42 ft - (6224 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.55 ft - (11140 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.82 ft - (5432 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 373.18 ft² |
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OLSON 40 - GENOA
| Luff | * 49.73 ft - (15158 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.94 ft - (7602 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.88 ft - (14289 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 23.25 ft - (7087 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 578.13 ft² |
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OLSON 40 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 49.73 ft - (15158 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.58 ft - (7797 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.75 ft - (13945 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 954 ft² |
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OLSON 40 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 49.73 ft - (15158 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 27.9 ft - (8504 mm) |
| Foot | * 27.9 ft - (8504 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1179 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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