A Classic American Cruiser · Since 1986
A masterful collaboration of French naval architecture and American seaworthiness — a full-keel cruiser built for bluewater passage without compromise.
The Story
French designer Philippe Briand drafted the Sun Fizz 40 for Jeanneau — a hull with deep structural promise. It was the first seed of what would become something far larger.
The American conglomerate Bangor Punta owned both Jeanneau and the O'Day Corporation. Seeing potential in Briand's hull, they merged French design sensibility with O'Day manufacturing.
The legendary naval architecture firm C. Raymond Hunt Associates took Briand's hull and developed it further: a sugar-scoop transom, revised interior volumes, and a rig tuned for offshore cruising.
O'Day Corporation built 180 O'Day 40s. Each vessel was constructed using advanced vacuum-bagged fiberglass techniques, delivering a hull that was both light and remarkably stiff.
Design Philosophy
The O'Day 40 was the rare product of a transatlantic collision of philosophies. Philippe Briand's hull carried the elegant waterlines and interior volume efficiency of French yacht design. C. Raymond Hunt Associates, architects of America's Cup contenders and offshore racers, brought generations of bluewater wisdom to the rig, keel, and structural layout. The result was a cruiser that delighted at anchor and commanded confidence in anything but a calm harbor.
Design
A deep fin keel with 6,600 lb of ballast (out of 18,000 lb total displacement) gives the O'Day 40 remarkable windward performance for a full cruiser. The spade-type rudder provides razor-sharp helm response.
A masthead sloop rig with a 50.6 ft tall mast delivers 698 sq ft of sail area (working jib) — ample power for offshore passages and easy to handle with a couple aboard.
O'Day used advanced bagged-laminate techniques in the O'Day 40's hull and deck. Resin was injected under vacuum, reducing weight and eliminating dry spots — a sign of top-tier American boatbuilding at its peak.
The sugar-scoop transom created a generous cockpit and roomy interior. Accommodations typically included three cabins, two heads, and a salon with a low-combination galley — full liveaboard comfort.
Born from a design that had already proven itself in France, and refined by engineers who designed America's Cup yachts, the O'Day 40 was always meant to take its owners somewhere real.
Fitted with a 46 hp Westerbeke diesel engine, the O'Day 40 had more than enough authority for maneuvering in crowded marinas. The Westerbeke remains one of the most trusted marine engines in history.
Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Designer | C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Philippe Briand |
| Builder | O'Day Corporation (Bangor Punta Corp.) |
| Year First Built | 1986 |
| Number Built | 180 |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull, deep keel |
| Construction | Fiberglass (vacuum-bagged laminate) |
| LOA | 39.58 ft (12.06 m) |
| LWL | 33.50 ft (10.21 m) |
| Beam | 12.60 ft (3.84 m) |
| Displacement | 18,000 lb (8,165 kg) |
| Keel & Rudder | |
| Keel Type | Fin keel |
| Ballast | 6,600 lb (2,994 kg) |
| Draft | 6.30 ft (1.92 m) |
| Rudder | Spade-type rudder |
| Propulsion | |
| Engine | Westerbeke 46 hp (34 kW) diesel |
| Rig & Sail | |
| Rig Type | Masthead sloop (Bermuda rig) |
| I — Foretriangle Height | 50.62 ft (15.43 m) |
| J — Foretriangle Base | 15.21 ft (4.64 m) |
| P – Mainsail Luff | 44.28 ft (13.50 m) |
| E — Mainsail Foot | 14.17 ft (4.32 m) |
| Mainsail Area | 313.72 sq ft (29.15 m²) |
| Jib/Genoa Area | 384.97 sq ft (35.77 m²) |
| Total Sail Area | 698.69 sq ft (64.91 m²) |
The boat that could have been many things: a fast cruiser, a comfortable bluewater voyager, a daysailer who occasionally dreamed of the horizon.– Sailboat Data Base
Legacy
Bangor Punta's financial troubles in the late 1980s meant that O'Day Corporation was shuttered along with other assets. The O'Day brand would pass through multiple owners over the decades.
Of the 180 boats built, a small handful still sail today — cherished by owners who appreciate their combination of offshore safety and cruising comfort.
The O'Day 40 occupies its own niche: a boat that was too expensive for most recreational sailors in its era, but whose construction quality and seakeeping ability have earned it quiet admiration among bluewater cruisers.
The O'Day 40 isn't just an American classic — it's a rare vessel where two great traditions merged into something both comfortable and capable.