ML IMS Racer

The designer's comments very pointedly attempt to sell the idea that the current trend in one-design offshore racers is doomed and that the future for offshore racing remains in the hands of the IMS and PHRF time-allowance systems. Taylor bucks the one-design trend with this new 40 and, in doing so, reiterates the design advantages of several features recently taken for granted.

The hull form is a development of Taylor's successful 49-footer Numbers, winner at both the SORC and Key West, and one of the boats on New Zealand's Admiral's Cup team, this year. The boat is narrow at 11.5 feet, medium-light with a D/L of 134 and has a generous draft of 8.3 feet. The entry is extremely fine and the volume of the hull is pulled aft. The sectional shape at station 6 (60 percent of DWL aft of the cutwater) shows a hard, almost knucklelike bilge turn about 4 inches below the DWL, fairing into an arced bottom that goes tangent at centerline-no deadrise. It's not a very attractive sectional shape but it is a stiff shape and may be fast. The slab topsides indicate that the designer is reducing drag instead of gaining stability from the topsides as the boat heels. My hat's off to Taylor for bothering to draw an attractive sheer.

Taylor ignores the bulb-keel trend with this clean, tapered, blade-type keel planform. This type of keel has far less frontal area than a bulb, is cheaper to build and just might shed kelp. I like to see at least a 30-degree sweep-preferably 40 degrees if the keel is expected to shed kelp. But this plays havoc with modern keel theory and requires careful manipulating of the foils to reduce the sweep at the quarter chord. Note the dramatic fillets at both leading and trailing edges of the keel and the small leading-edge fillet on the rudder.

The rig is a classic fractional-type in the Grand Prix style, with one feature that deserves attention. The spreaders on this design are in line with the mast and are not swept aft. Careful attention to the runners, checkstays and standing backstay is required to keep the carbon fiber mast tuned while sailing. Taylor again bucks the trend of eliminating genoas and sailing with nonoverlapping headsails.

We could argue for hours about this one, but in order to optimize boat performance over a wide range of conditions, you need the ability to shift gears by using a variety of headsail sizes. It's as simple as that. Now this approach can be countered with an argument for simplicity and economy but I can assure you that in 8 knots of breeze, a 145-percent genoa will go faster than a 95-percent blade jib. The boatspeed difference is very easy to measure. The convenience, simplicity and economy of the blade jib approach is more subjective and difficult to measure. It comes down to a matter of individual sailing style and your immediate performance goal.

The deck layout of this design features very clean detailing with many of the lines running under the deck. The cockpit is huge and will keep the crew forward where their weight will not impede boatspeed. Note how far forward the helmsman sits. The in-line chainplates are well inboard, allowing a very tight 12-degree sheeting angle.

The new Taylor 40, engineered by Dirk Cramers, was built by the very capable and well-proven Boston Boatworks. It is an exciting boat that will undoubtedly turn up frequently in the winner's circle during the next few years.