Archambault 40
Archambault · Joubert/Nivelt · 2003
Updated
The Archambault 40 is a 11.98 m displacement racing yacht designed by Joubert/Nivelt and built by Archambault, first launched in 2003. It races in Class B. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 76% of the designs it races against.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 76% of the boats it races against.
23rd of 92 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 136 starts across 37 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
11.98 m
39′ 4″
Beam
3.79 m
Draft
2.44 m
Displacement
6.5 t
Sail area
88 m²
On the podium
Where a Archambault 40 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
15%
of 136 starts by 9 boats
Wins
7%
Read from 136 starts by 9 boats between 2018 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Archambault 40 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
"Πανελληνιο Κυπελο ORCI 2026"2026- Aegean 6002026
73° Loro Piana Giraglia2026- 151 Miglia - Trofeo Cetilar2026
- ORC World Championship2026
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
9%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
23%
of these races end on the podium
Better the longer it gets. Boats that settle into a groove and hold it gain ground once the course stops turning.
Who she races against
The designs a Archambault 40 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the Archambault 40 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
5.81
37°
Beam reach
9.12
90°
Broad reach
11.10
135°
Downwind VMG
8.54
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
It does most things without giving much away. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is on a broad reach once it pipes up, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage running deep as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
There is no condition where it falls away badly, which is worth something over a season of mixed weather.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.8 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the broad reach.
How fast is a Archambault 40
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.85 | 5.22 | 5.65 | 5.81 |
| 52° | 5.84 | 7.45 | 7.84 | 8.04 |
| 60° | 6.14 | 7.63 | 8.06 | 8.29 |
| 75° | 6.33 | 7.75 | 8.32 | 8.71 |
| 90° | 6.31 | 7.87 | 8.48 | 9.12 |
| 110° | 6.34 | 8.16 | 8.89 | 9.79 |
| 120° | 6.21 | 8.11 | 9.09 | 10.34 |
| 135° | 5.54 | 7.75 | 8.85 | 11.10 |
| 150° | 4.66 | 6.94 | 8.21 | 9.79 |
| Run VMG | 4.04 | 6.01 | 7.20 | 8.54 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 740 kg.
Rigging
Archambault 40 rig and sail dimensions
A Archambault 40 carries 15.29 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.34 m boom, a forestay 15.61 m above the deck and a 6.20 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 24 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 122 to 168 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.