Class 40 Class Rules 2024-V2
Class 40 Class Rules 2024-V2
Class 40 Class Rules 2024-V2
Index 2
Fundamental Rules 3
Chapter 2 – Dimensions 9
200 – Dimensions 9
201 – Measurement trim 9
202 – Hull length (Lh) 9
203 – Maximum beam (Bmax) 9
204 – Maximum draft (Tmax) 10
205 – Average freeboard 10
206 – Displacement 11
207 - Ballast 11
208 – Mast (Highest point) 12
209 – Boom and mainsheet traveller track 12
210 – Bowsprit - Outrigger 12
211 – Spinnaker pole 13
212 – Sails 13
213 – Geometry of the hull and bow volume 15
214 – Geometry of the deck 15
Chapter 3 – Safety 16
300 – Stability 16
301 – Displacement conformity 16
302 – 90° test 17
303 – Watertight bulkheads 18
304 – Combined volume of the deck camber and the coachroof 18
305 – Buoyancy volumes 18
306 – Propulsion 19
309 – Lifelines 19
These rules apply to monohull yachts with the aim of racing offshore in real time.
A monohull is a boat with a single flotation plane at rest or under sail, whose hull depth in any transversal section
shall not decrease towards the centreline.
The current World Sailing (RRS, ERS and OSR) rules apply.
The Rules for Class 40 Monohulls are the open type set out in Paragraph C.2.3 of the ERS (Equipment Rules of
Sailing), meaning that anything that is not explicitly forbidden, limited or imposed, is permitted.
The Class40 association was formed with the aim of creating a fleet of simple, seaworthy, performance-oriented,
ocean-racing yachts, and where possible within a limited budget. These Class Rules aim to fulfil this mission, but no
text can anticipate the capacity of human intelligence to exploit the meaning of words in a manner not in line with
the original aim of these Rules.
For this reason, it is highly recommended that any questions on the interpretation of these Rules which might be
contrary to the spirit of the Class be put first to the Executive Committee, to avoid the risk of being considered
outside the Rules.
Prior to the start of each new build, detailed draft drawings including the structural elements and materials to be
used shall be submitted. The layout and distribution of corrector weights must feature in the draft drawings. The
Chief Measurer can require that these draft drawings be submitted in a specific format (dwg, 3dm, etc.)
These drawings are confidential, seen only by the Chief Measurer. Where it is difficult to validate a point in terms of
Class Rules, the Chief Measurer may seek the opinion of the Technical Committee, solely in relation to the point in
question.
The submission of these drawings is a requirement for the allocation of a Class40 number. A period of 4 months is
required between the class receiving these drawings and any request for, and allocation of, a number.
The safety of the boat and its crew is the inalienable responsibility of the owner, or his/her skipper, who must ensure
that the yacht is in perfect condition, thoroughly seaworthy, and that it is crewed by an experienced crew, who have
undergone the appropriate training and are physically capable of dealing with bad weather.
The class must respect the conditions of the Advertising Code in Category C of the World Sailing Regulations
(Chapter IV; 20).
The results of the 90º test and the weight of boats can be consulted at the class secretariat.
All boats without exception may be the subject of random scrutineering (where a boat does not conform, the
measurement expenses shall be paid by the person responsible for that boat).
Any modification having a bearing on the Rules shall be brought to the attention of the Class Measurer and of the
Class secretariat.
In the event of conflict between the OSR and the NF EN ISO 12217 standard, the latter will prevail.
These rules are modified as follows:
• ISO 12217-2 :
6.3.2 “Alternative requirement for categories A & B” does not apply. See §301 of these rules.
• OSR Cat 1:
3.03.2 b) Certification by a notified body does not apply.
3.04 Stability index does not apply
3.08.03 ”Companionway” does not apply, replaced by the restrictions noted in the ISO 12217-2
standard: §6.2.2.2
3.14 “Pulpits, Stanchions, Lifelines”, modified, see §402 of these rules.
3.18 “Toilet” , modified, see §104 of these rules.
3.19.1 “Bunks”, modified, see §104 of these rules.
3.21.1 “Drinking water”, see §104 of these rules.
4.01.2 “Sail letters & numbers”. As defined in Chapter 3 of the Appendix to Class Rules
4.26 “Heavy-weather jib”. Modified, see §212.04 of these rules.
Appendix E “Organisation of Oceanic Races”. Does not apply.
• RRS:
101. APPENDAGES
The external appendages are limited to a single fixed keel when sailing and a maximum of two movable
appendages. For example, a trimtab, interceptor or flap are considered to be moving appendages.
The hull must be symmetrical in the vertical plane, and the keel must be located and remain in the same vertical
plane of symmetry as the hull.
The attachment points of the rudder on the hull must be fixed and must remain in place.
The set of points of the leading and trailing edges of the rudder must be in the same plane.
Only one configuration of appendages is permitted per full 12-month period.
No modification to the keel position is permitted within a period of less than 12 full months.
Note: daggerboards are forbidden. Foils, that is to say any appendage designed to generate a vertical force, are
forbidden.
102. RIGGING
mm.
The overall span of the spreaders and the rigging may not exceed the value of the boat’s maximum beam + 130 mm.
The forestay must be of a fixed length, neither removable nor adjustable while sailing and attached to the upper
quarter of the mast.
All systems for adjusting the position of the mast base, including a mast jack pump, are forbidden while racing.
103. SAILS
103.02.02 Solent
Triangular sail flown from the fixed forestay. The solent cannot be manufactured with a structural luff.
- Fixed water tanks containing a combined minimum of 40l. These tanks shall be situated at less than 500 mm from
the centreline of the boat.
Tanks are not permitted in the keel fin (dispensation for boats launched prior to the 1st of January 2012).
Any boat designed after the 1st of January 2010 must provide a letter to Class40 certifying that parts 5, 8 and 9 of
ISO 12215 have been respected, as defined in OSR 3.03
106. HULL
The boat must be a monohull. The boat at rest with zero heel and in light configuration must be symmetric with
respect to its vertical median plane.
See Appendix for interpretation.
200. DIMENSIONS
The dimensions that must be measured in compliance with the NF EN ISO 8666 standard are indicated by the name
EN/ISO 8666 followed by the relevant chapter.
Measurement trim for measuring purposes is the Light Craft Condition LCC (in conformity with 6.3 of the EN ISO
8666 standard and 3.5.1 of the EN ISO12217-2 standard) excluding anchoring equipment (anchor, chain and warp)
and the loose external equipment (fenders, warps, mooring lines), sails, liferaft.
Fixed internal fittings, be they for comfort or safety, such as fridges, watermakers, plumbing or other equipment
which are included when the boat is weighed, shall not be removable and shall be listed on the measurement
certificate, including their location. The same applies to all other fixed navigational equipment, such as autopilots,
computers etc… Any fixed equipment or interior fitting with a (some) degree(s) of movement whose weight exceeds
5 kg shall be excluded from measurement trim, unless the centre of gravity of the item is never further than 200 mm
from the centreline of the boat.
Reminder: This measurement does not include rudders and their fittings, bobstay fittings, without devices designed
to lengthen the waterline, nor pulpits and pushpits, solar panels and wind vanes, nor the bowsprit, if it is removable
(dispensation for fixed bowsprits of boats launched before the 31st of January 2007).
In the case of transom-hung rudders, no part of the rudder system shall be wider than 150 mm, except for the top of
the rudder boxes and the top of the rudders.
The average freeboard must not be lower than 1.08 m in measurement trim.
The average freeboard is obtained by dividing by 8.19 the vertical projected surface of the topsides between 2m
from the forward-most point of the hull used to measure Lh (point A) and 2m from the aft-most point of the hull
used to measure Lh (Point B).
A
B
The topsides are defined as the hull surface between the waterline and the sheer.
The sheer is defined as the intersection between the hull and deck as per the drawings below. For any configuration
which is different, the Technical Committee must be consulted for an interpretation.
At point A, the freeboard cannot be less than 1.25m and no point of the sheer forward of point A can be lower than
A. Interruptions in the sheerline are permitted for a sprit recess for a bowsprit, but not extend lower than 1.25m
from the waterline, no more than 1m aft of the forward-most point of the hull.
Between points A and B, the sheer must not feature any inflection point or discontinuity in its curve.
From 1m aft of the stem to 0.5m forward of the stern, the sheer must be a continuous line with a minimum radius of
2m in the profile view.
(Dispensation for boats measured prior to the 1st of January 2014).
The boat weight must not be lower than 4580 kg in measurement trim as defined in 201.
The pre-build detailed draft drawings must show the position of any potential corrector weight (See Fundamental
Rules).
207. BALLAST
The maximum volume of liquid ballast is 1500 l, symmetrically distributed (750 l on each side), including plumbing
up to the centreline of the boat. The ballast tanks are fixed.
A band measuring a minimum of 25mm in width in a contrasting colour must be affixed around the top of the mast.
The lower part of this band will be situated at a height of 19 m above the water surface in measurement trim. No
point of any set sail may be situated above the lower part of this band.
Halyards which exit above the point of maximum air draft must be routed/restrained by appropriate means, for
example:
- fairlead
- strop
- some form of mechanical stop for the headboard car
In the absence of such a band, the high point will be the highest point of the mast tube.
The aftermost part of the boom must be at least 80cm forward of the aftermost point used to determine Lh,
whatever the trim of the mainsail.
The vertical dimension of the cross-section of the boom cannot be greater than 250 mm.
Aerodynamic devices (Boom Sweeper, Deck Sweeper, etc) located between the deck and the boom are forbidden.
Any track with a curve(s) where the radius is less than 4.5 metres is forbidden.
No part of the mainsheet traveller track can be further than 1.25 m from this aftermost point (dispensation for boats
launched prior to the 31st of January 2007).
212. SAILS
The surface area, mainsail + solent (see definition in 212.03.01), must not exceed 115 m2.
212.01.02 - Sail numbers are distributed by the Class 40 in chronological order of requests.
212.02.02 - Height
Luff (ERS G.7.3)
212.02.03 - Girth
212.02.04 - Foot
Foot (ERS G.7.1).
212.02.05 - The distance between the mid-foot point and the equidistant point between the tack point and
the clew point shall not exceed 0.15 m. (ERS G.5.6.a)
SMF = 0.5 x JL x LP
The distance between the mid-foot point and the equidistant point between the tack point and the clew
point of the genoa/ jib/solent shall not exceed 0.1 m. (ERS G.5.6.a)
450 mm max
The cockpit can be any width between the aft-most point used to determine Lh and 1.75 metres forwards of this
point.
Between 1.75 m and 4.50 m forward of the aft-most point used to determine Lh, no part of the deck or cockpit
surface can be lower than the sheer of the same section outside a plane situated 1,350 mm from the centerline
when the boat is floating upright.
Between 4.50 m forward of the aft-most point used to determine Lh and the bow, no part of the deck or coachroof
can be lower than the sheer of the same section, with the exception of an anchor locker. The aft-most point of the
anchor locker shall be less than 1.50 metres from the bow, and its total volume less than 0.4m 3.
Between 1.75m forward of the aft-most point used to determine Lh and the bow, no non-watertight locker may be
installed in such a way that it would be below the waterline + 300 mm when the boat is heeled to 90°.
Any device not covered in this article which could be beneficial for the 90° test shall be submitted to the Technical
Committee for an interpretation.
Reminder:
The boat must conform with all aspects of:
- the “NF EN ISO 12217 Small Craft - Stability and Buoyancy Assessment and Categorisation- part 2: Sailing
boats with a hull length greater or equal to 6 m” for design category A, except 6.1.4 b) where the sentence
“for the next less demanding design category » is replaced by « for the design category concerned”,
- the “NF EN ISO 11812 – Small Craft – watertightness requirements of quick draining cockpits” for design
category A.
A Class40 accredited measurer shall have verified the load measured during a Class40 90° test. The written report (or
any other document) shall then be submitted to the class. This document shall prove that the stability of the vessel
concerned has been verified and shall state the results obtained for each of the requirements of the standards.
Within the framework of this measurement, the measurer will note down the following measurements on his report:
Lh, Bmax, Tmax, average freeboard, top point of the mast, following the procedure supplied by Class 40.
The weighing of a boat in measurement trim must have been carried out by a Class40 accredited measurer, using a
load cell with its valid annual certificate.
This person will supply the class with a report of the weighing session.
This test is aimed at proving that the boat is capable of righting itself from the broached position with empty ballast
tanks.
It must be done by a Class40 accredited measurer.
When heeled at 90 degrees (on both sides, if considered necessary) the boat in measurement trim (see §201) is kept
in this position with the aid of a strop passed around the mast at the level of the measurement band at the top point
of the mast (see 208 of the present rules). The load exerted on the strop must be a minimum of 235 kg and a
maximum of 323 kg.
If the mast band is placed at under 19m of elevation, the load on the strop must satisfy the same righting moment.
(The designer must supply the calculations)
The boat is considered to be heeled at 90 degrees when the aftermost points of the sheer line are situated on the
same vertical plane.
A watertight collision bulkhead must be installed between 10% and 15% of Lh aft of the forward-most Lh point. An
aft watertight bulkhead must be installed forward of the rudder stocks and a minimum of 1 m forward of the aft-
most point of Lh.
A system of watertight hatches, with a minimum opening of 0.18m², shall enable evacuation via the back of the boat
when inverted. This The hatch must be located on the transom must be outside the aft lifelines on any boat
launched for the first time after 1st March 2011.
It must be possible to open all of these watertight hatches in either direction, be they the watertight bulkhead
hatches or the transom hatch.
All boats shall conform to this rule by the 1st of September 2010 in order to participate in Category 1 races.
For boats launched from the 1st of January 2021 onwards, the minimum combined deck camber and coachroof
volume, V, in m3, shall be:
V = Bmax + 0.6 x Bav
With :
Bmax being the maximum width of a boat expressed in meters,
Bav being the width of the hull, measured at 2000 mm aft of the forwardmost point used to determine Lh,
expressed in meters.
A coachroof is mandatory. The volume of any rope tunnels shall be deducted. The volume represented by coachroof
extensions and coamings cannot be included.
A certificate signed by the designer, specifying this volume, must be supplied.
See Appendix for dates of application.
A minimum of 5 m3 of closed-cell foam is required. This volume, divided into a minimum of 4 compartments, must
be evenly distributed around the center of the boat. The volume of the sandwich hull lining and structural
longitudinal and transverse bulkheads built in sandwich may be included in this volume of foam (but not the volume
of the deck lining).
The skipper must supply a drawing showing the detail and the distribution of the buoyancy volume, signed by the
designer, the builder and the skipper.
The buoyancy sections must be affixed to the hull, the deck or the structure in such a way as to withstand a force at
least equal to their buoyancy, no matter what the trim or heel of the boat.
For boats whose 1st measurement certificate is issued from the 2022 season onwards, the foam buoyancy sections
must be in laminated compartments.
306. PROPULSION
An engine, permanently fixed in place, with a minimum power of 19,4 kW at the crankshaft, with fixed transmission
with sail drive or propeller shaft, and a propeller, situated beneath the centreline of the hull, must be installed.
There must be a minimum of 40 mm between the propeller when open, and the hull. The propeller blades may be
folding or feathering.
The propeller when open must have a minimum diameter of 360 mm.
307. LIFELINES
Only metal lifelines are allowed. A lanyard or synthetic rope may be used to secure the ends of the lifeline. Each
lanyard must not exceed 100 mm (4 inches) in length.
The use of titanium and materials denser than the lead is forbidden, except as described in article 406.
Materials forbidden in the construction of the hull, deck, the interior structure and fittings are:
Carbon fibre
Aramid fibre
Any mineral or synthetic fibre where the maximum tensile strength is in excess of 3000 Mpa
Sandwich cores: honeycomb cores.
The use of resin pre-preg reinforcements in the construction of the hull, the deck, the interior structure and fittings
is forbidden.
Carbon fibre with a modulus greater than 245 GPa (certification from the manufacturer obligatory).
The mast section, except local reinforcements, must be constant from the mast base to the fixed main forestay
tang. A section that gradually tapers away is only permitted above the forestay tang.
All materials other than steel are forbidden. All steels where the Young’s modulus is greater than 206 GPa are
forbidden.
406. EQUIPMENT
406.01: Certain items of equipment on boats may contain materials on the forbidden list. These items of equipment
can be installed on board on condition that:
- these items are mass-produced, sold to the public, and feature in suppliers’ public catalogues with the
price listed.
- the publicly listed price of these items is less than or equal to the publicly listed price of the same type of
equipment which does not contain any forbidden materials.
For any item of equipment which does not match all the above criteria, the equipment supplier concerned must
submit a request to the Board to become an approved equipment supplier. The Board will take a decision within 30
days on the recommendations of the Technical Committee. If approval is not given by the Board, the equipment
supplier can request that approval be put to vote at the Class’s Annual General Assembly, which will vote on the
basis of a simple majority of votes present or represented. Requests for approved supplier status must be submitted
to the Class before the 31st of January each year.
The list of items of equipment authorised by the Board or the Annual General Assembly in line with the above
procedure will be made available to members of the class via the website under the Rules and Documents section.
No system for keeping sails hoisted shall be situated higher on the mast than 2.25 m above deck level, except for
halyard locks permitted in 406.04.
407. ELECTRONIC
- Elements of the automatic pilot product line, namely the calculator, processor, electronic hub, power control
unit, computer software and adjoining licences. Each of these elements must be available as standart product
(available on catalogue). This set-up must not exceed a public price of €20,000 ex-VAT. Within this amount, the
software licences required to operate the automatic pilot are deemed to be included. The other elements such as
the displays, sensors other than the inertial navigation system and the rams are not included in the calculation. The
term ‘electronic unit’ is understood to mean any device used to collect and use the data from the various sensors.
- No element of the backup pilot can be more expensive than its equivalent on the main automatic pilot.