The Cal 39 by C. Raymond Hunt and Associates is right in the middle in terms of yacht design. Originally introduced in 1988, this design can trace its lineage back to C. William Lapworth's classic Cal 40 and its successor, the Lapworth-designed Cal 39. These were good, fast boats that offered better-than-average speed coupled with adequate cruising accommodations. This 39 has big shoes to fill.

The Cal 39.

The Cal 39.



Hunt's version of the Cal 39 is a very handsome addition to the fleet. The sheer is subtle and sweet, the overhangs are graceful and the overall look captures classic proportions that our eyes are very comfortable with. The hull features moderate beam, moderate rocker and a D/L of 246, also very moderate. You have your choice of a 7-foot-draft underwater profile or the 5-foot-4-inch Hydrokeel, a patented, winged fin with a negative angle of attack and wings stretching the entire length of the keel tip.

Down below you have an interior with two staterooms and the single head aft. The galley is a little tight for my taste, but it is adequate. The main cabin features a wrap around dinette to starboard. This interior works, but I'd like to see more hanging locker space.

The rig has fore and aft lower shrouds, but a performance rig package is available for more speed-minded sailors. The boom is sheeted pretty far forward, but that just means you need a big winch in order to get leech tension. The SA/D is 17.8, which is moderate. If the overall appeal of this boat is to cruisers who want to race once in a while, the rig is right. You could put up a bigger rig, but it would require more attention and you would have to reef sooner. The mid-17s is still a good SA/D for most cruising boats, and while it might put your hormone-loaded 16-year-old to sleep, it will allow mom and dad to concentrate on things other than just keeping the stick in column and arguing about who's going to tuck the reef in.

This tis a very handsome boat. The cockpit coamings slope outboard to make comfy seats when the boat is heeled, and they drop away aft to allow easy access to the broad swim platform. The cabintrunk is carefully sculpted to blend well with the sheerline. The 39 is now being built by George Crowell of Little Compton, Rhode Island, who bought the molds from O'Day. If excellence in design accounts for anything, George should find success with the 39.

A revived cruiser that also can take you racing once in a while.
LOA39'
LWL31'8"
Beam12'7"
Draft7' deep fin keel, 5'4" wing keel
Displacement17,500 lbs.
Ballast7,000 lbs.
Sail Area750 sq. ft.
SA/D17.8
D/L246
L/B3.09
Auxiliary44-horsepower Yanmar diesel
Fuel38 gals.
Water100 gals.

 

SAILINGlogo-115This story originally appeared in Sailing Magazine, and is republished here by permission. Subscribe to Sailing.