Block Island 40

Block Island 40 (Vitesse 40)

Development
Designer	William Tripp, Jr.
Location	United States
Year	1957–2000
No. built	22 (Mark I) 14 (Mark II) 17+ (Mark III)
Builder(s)	Mark I: American Boatbuilding Corporation, Beetle Boat Division Mark II: Metalmast Marine Mark III: Migrator Yachts
Role	Racer-Cruiser
Name	Block Island 40 (Vitesse 40)
Boat
Displacement	20,000 lb (9,072 kg)
Draft	Mark I: 3.92 ft (1.19 m), centerboard up; 8.42 ft (2.57 m), centerboard down; Mark III: 4.16 ft (1.27 m), centerboard up; 8.83 ft (2.69 m), centerboard down
Hull
Type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	40.0 ft (12.2 m)
LWL	29.16 ft (8.89 m)
Beam	11.83 ft (3.61 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	full keel with centerboard
Ballast	Mark I: 5,200 lb (2,359 kg); Mark III: 7,800 lb (3,538 kg)
Rudder(s)	keel-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Yawl rig
I foretriangle height	46.83 ft (14.27 m)
J foretriangle base	25.58 ft (7.80 m)
P mainsail luff	39.50 ft (12.04 m)
E mainsail foot	15.0 ft (4.6 m)
Sails
Sailplan	Masthead yawl
Total sail area	Mark I: 752 sq ft (69.9 m2); Mark III: 738 sq ft (68.6 m2)
Racing
PHRF	156–186
[edit on Wikidata]

The Block Island 40, also known as the Vitesse 40, is an American sailboat that was designed by William Tripp, Jr. in 1956–1957 and first built in 1957.^[1]

Three versions of the Block Island 40 were built: Mark I, built by the Beetle Boat division of American Boatbuilding Corporation from 1957 to the early 1960s,^[2] Mark II, built by Metalmast Marine from 1974 to 1977,^[2] and Mark III, built by Migrator Yachts from 1985 to at least 2000.^[3][4][2][5]

The Block Island 40 design was modified by Tripp for Hinckley Yachts and sold as the Bermuda 40.

The design was originally commissioned in 1956 for a Connecticut lawyer named Frederick Lorenzen, who said of wooden boats of the time, "I don't like them. They leak."^[6] The design is said to be inspired by the Sparkman & Stephens yacht Finisterre.^[7][4] The design is one of the first fiberglass production sailboats built.^[6][4][8]

The design features a yawl sail plan, six berths, and over 6.0 ft (183 cm) of headroom ("standing headroom throughout").^[9] A centerboard allowed for a minimum draft of 3 ft 11 in (1.2 m) that extended to 8 ft 15 in (2.8 m) when lowered.^[6][9]

Initially, a Dutch company, Van Breems International (VBI), was to build Tripp's design as the Vitesse 40.^[2] VBI never built a hull, and sold the rights to American Boatbuilding Corporation in 1957.^[2] The Mark I was first known as the Vitesse 40 and later, with some modifications, renamed the Block Island 40.^[8] As late as 1961, references to the Vitesse 40 were still found in VBI promotional materials.^[10] The Beetle Boat Division of American Boatbuilding Corporation built a total of 22 hulls of the Mark I design.^[5]

Metalmast Marine made significant changes to the design, including changes to the stern, coachroof, rudder, centerboard, and keel.^[2] The keel and rudder were separated, in contrast to the full keel featured on the Mark I and Mark III. Metalmast built 14 hulls of the Mark II design.^[5]

In 1985, Eric Woods attempted to get Metalmast Marine to build him a customized Block Island 40. Metalmast declined and instead sold him the molds.^[5] Woods founded Migrator Yachts and created the Mark III iteration. Migrator built at least 17 hulls of the Mark III design as of 2000.^[3]

The Block Island 40 found success in racing, with early wins in the 1958 Miami to Nassau race by Rhubarb^[6] and the 1958 Edlu Trophy by Frederick Lorenzen's Seal.^[8]

Six Block Island 40s participated in the 1960 Newport to Bermuda race, all placing in the top 11.^[5][4] Hull No. 8, Alaris, won its class in the 1978 edition of the same race.^[4] Hull No. 7, Bantu, won the Chicago to Mackinac Race overall in 1964, 1965, 1996, and 1997.^[4]

A 1962 advertisement by American Boatbuilding Corporation references wins by Reindeer in the Annapolis to Newport Race and Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race; Swamp Yankee in the New Bedford Whalers Race and Martha's Vineyard Ocean Race; Volta in the Newport to Cuttyhunk Race; Scylla in the Storm Trysail Race, and Alaris in the Chesapeake Bay Fall Series, but does not specify the years.^[11]