Eagle 40

1996 October 5
By Robert H. Perry

Performance cruiserr

We just looked at a beautifully handcrafted design. Now let's look at an equally well-crafted design drawn with a computer drafting program. I always lean toward work that reflects the hand of man, but the computer is just another tool that in the hands of a craftsman is capable of sensitive renderings. Hakan Sodergren's new Eagle 40 shows his skill as both a yacht designer and a computer draftsman.

This is an unusual boat, to say the least. From its unstayed partial wing-type masts to its interior layout, there is nothing typical in this boat. Does it all work? With a capable builder and a little time to work out the bugs, I'm sure it will work. It appears quite complicated to me, but at the same time it looks like a fun ride.

Given the unusual features of this boat, the designer has managed to produce a handsome boat. I'm not too keen on the shovel-nosed bow, but it does allow the ground tackle to clear the near vertical stem without adding a bowsprit. It also allows the headstay to move forward to help with balancing the rig. The D/L is 84.39 and the prismatic is high at .58. For a convenient benchmark, consider that this design is the same length as a Valiant 40, but beamier, and 15,000 pounds lighter.

Water ballast tanks and a lifting bulb keel will provide stability. The keel fin is carbon fiber with a lead bulb bolted on. The keel is adjusted hydraulically from the cockpit. With water ballast in and keel down, this will be an exceptionally stiff boat. The rudder is a constant section shape that retracts through a rotating trunk. Rudder construction is carbon fiber and epoxy.

The rig uses rotating carbon fiber leading edges over roller bearings for a clean leading edge. The luff of the sail is doubled to maintain the clean foil shape and makes the transition to a single layer sail at about 50 percent of chord position. The SA/D is listed as 30.23, but keep in mind that this is actual sail area and not a simple 1, J, E and P sail area calculation. The unusual nature of this rig precludes a traditional approach to measuring sail area.

The interior deserves close study. It begins with two large quarter berths tucked under the cockpit, with minimal vertical clearance over them. Forward of this are two sea berths and a very snug head. Moving forward there is a large chart table to starboard and a small galley to port. Note the location of the icebox outboard of the round sinks. The big U-shaped dinette will be a nice place to relax and enjoy a meal. It is very clear that the restrictions imposed by the locations of the two large-diameter free-standing masts, engine and the lifting keel trunk, really control this layout. I don't like the forward location of the galley so far from the cockpit. Sure it's dry, but it's also remote.

The deck of the Eagle is as novel as the rest of the boat, but it is carefully sculpted and quite handsome. Note the "bubbular" companionway that avoids the use of a sliding hatch.

Construction by Azzura Yachts International uses high-tech materials and techniques to produce a very light and durable hull. The interior is made almost entirely of carbon fiber over foam or honeycomb core. The hull and deck have a protective layer of S-glass and all resin is epoxy. The boat is vacuum-bagged and oven-cured for 24 hours for that golden-brown crust-the Julia Childs school of boatbuilding?

With all the effort that you see here being given to novel solutions, one would expect outstanding performance. We will just have to wait and see. Azzura Yachts International, Inc., 671 Marbury Lane, Longboat Key, FL 34228.

An unusual, complicated design that looks like it will offer outstanding performance.