Class BDisplacementCruiser/Racer

IMX 40

X-Yachts · Niels Jeppesen · 2000

Updated

The IMX 40 is a 12.10 m displacement racing yacht designed by Niels Jeppesen and built by X-Yachts, first launched in 2000. It races in Class B. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 57% of the designs it races against.

IMX 40 - Niels Jeppesen - X-YachtsP 14.97 mLOA 12.10 m
Race Edge57Proven in racing

Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 57% of the boats it races against.

40th of 92 in its class.

Under 10 kn
68
10–16 kn
27
Over 16 kn
55

This design has been found in real race results — 181 starts across 53 events — not only in measurement files.

Length

12.10 m

39′ 8″

Beam

3.78 m

Draft

2.41 m

Displacement

6.5 t

Sail area

88 m²

On the podium

Where a IMX 40 finishes when she goes racing.

On the podium

29%

of 181 starts by 12 boats

Wins

14%

Wins14%26
Seconds7%13
Thirds7%13
Off the podium72%129

Read from 181 starts by 12 boats between 2011 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.

Recent regattas

The latest events where a IMX 40 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.

  • Greece"Αγκιστρι 2026"2026
  • Türkiye25. Bosphorus Cup2026
  • Greece43ος Ιστιοπλοικος Αγωνας Κορφος ΄262026
  • Greece"Πανελληνιο Κυπελο ORCI 2026"2026
  • Italy59° Trofeo Fiorillo2026

Raced one we are missing?

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Round 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

34%

of these races end on the podium

93 races of 10 NM or less

Offshore & coastal

24%

of these races end on the podium

85 races over 10 NM

Sharper round the buoys. Short courses reward acceleration and manoeuvring, and that is where this design makes its money.

Who she races against

The designs a IMX 40 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.

This design aheadRival ahead
X-3547%ahead in 35 of 74 meetings, 62 racestoo close to call
Xp 4466%ahead in 45 of 68 meetings, 59 races
First 34.736%ahead in 22 of 61 meetings, 56 races
Farr 4037%ahead in 30 of 81 meetings, 55 races
IMX 3850%ahead in 31 of 62 meetings, 51 racestoo close to call
Comet 4179%ahead in 38 of 48 meetings, 43 races
X-4131%ahead in 25 of 80 meetings, 41 races
Archambault 4068%ahead in 28 of 41 meetings, 41 races
TP 52 (Carkeek)18%ahead in 6 of 34 meetings, 34 racesalmost always behind
First 4056%ahead in 48 of 86 meetings, 32 races
First 44.765%ahead in 22 of 34 meetings, 29 races
Grand Soleil 40 (Paperini)68%ahead in 23 of 34 meetings, 27 races
Elan 41096%ahead in 25 of 26 meetings, 26 racesalmost always ahead
Italia 12.98 (Cossutti)85%ahead in 22 of 26 meetings, 26 racesalmost always ahead
Bavaria Match 3576%ahead in 19 of 25 meetings, 25 races
First 45 (Briand)71%ahead in 17 of 24 meetings, 24 races
Grand Soleil 42 (Carkeek)57%ahead in 17 of 30 meetings, 23 races
Jv 4455%ahead in 12 of 22 meetings, 22 races
Elan 4078%ahead in 21 of 27 meetings, 22 races
First 40.784%ahead in 21 of 25 meetings, 22 racesalmost always ahead
X-36240%ahead in 8 of 20 meetings, 20 races
J/12235%ahead in 12 of 34 meetings, 20 races
M 3465%ahead in 13 of 20 meetings, 20 races
Sun Fast 320058%ahead in 11 of 19 meetings, 19 races
Evento 4294%ahead in 16 of 17 meetings, 17 racesalmost always ahead
Rodman 4271%ahead in 17 of 24 meetings, 17 races
JOD 3588%ahead in 14 of 16 meetings, 16 racesalmost always ahead
Mumm 3677%ahead in 23 of 30 meetings, 16 races
Rm 126100%ahead in 15 of 15 meetings, 15 races
J/9913%ahead in 2 of 15 meetings, 15 races
X-4038%ahead in 8 of 21 meetings, 14 races
Farr 5529%ahead in 4 of 14 meetings, 14 races
Bh 3631%ahead in 4 of 13 meetings, 13 races
Swan 4245%ahead in 10 of 22 meetings, 13 races
Platu 2553%ahead in 10 of 19 meetings, 13 racestoo close to call
Dehler 41 (Judel/Vrolijk)83%ahead in 10 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Swan 4543%ahead in 6 of 14 meetings, 12 races
Beneteau 40.717%ahead in 2 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Bull 9008%ahead in 1 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Sinergia 4082%ahead in 9 of 11 meetings, 11 races

Some of the boats it races against

How the IMX 40 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.

IMX 40 vs First 40ahead 56% of 86 head-to-heads
IMX 40 vs Farr 40ahead 37% of 81 head-to-heads
IMX 40 vs X-41ahead 31% of 80 head-to-heads
IMX 40 vs X-35ahead 47% of 74 head-to-heads
IMX 40 vs Xp 44ahead 66% of 68 head-to-heads

Speed at every angle

The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.

36930°60°90°120°150°WIND10.2

Upwind VMG

5.65

37°

Beam reach

8.90

90°

Broad reach

10.19

135°

Downwind VMG

8.41

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.

There is no obvious weak spot here. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.

Where it gains

Its best ground is off the wind when it blows, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage downwind 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.

True wind
Upwind+0.20 kn
Beam reach+0.06 kn
Broad reach+0.08 kn
Downwind+0.08 kn

Full width is 0.4 kn either way.

At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the upwind.

How fast is a IMX 40

Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.

Angle6 kn10 kn14 kn20 kn
Beat VMG3.775.105.505.65
52°5.697.287.677.83
60°5.977.477.878.07
75°6.167.618.148.48
90°6.107.708.278.90
110°6.087.878.669.40
120°5.917.788.729.98
135°5.297.408.4410.19
150°4.466.667.949.37
Run VMG3.865.777.098.41

How they are set up

The range each sail spans across the fleet.

Mainsail48 m² – 52 m²
Headsail35 m² – 56 m²
Gennaker101 m² – 161 m²
Spinnaker105 m² – 141 m²

Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 700 kg.

Rigging

IMX 40 rig and sail dimensions

A IMX 40 carries 15.07 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.50 m boom, a forestay 15.99 m above the deck and a 5.50 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 28 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.

Rig

Mainsail hoistP15.07 m14.75 – 16.53
Boom lengthE5.50 m5.40 – 5.52
Forestay heightIG15.99 m15.75 – 17.46
Fore triangle baseJ4.50 m4.30 – 4.51
Spinnaker hoistISP16.04 m16.00 – 18.38
BowspritTPS5.50 m5.06 – 6.23
Boom above deckBAS1.79 m1.63 – 1.81

Sails

Mainsail50.0 m²47.7 – 51.7
Headsail38.3 m²35.3 – 55.9
Gennaker129.1 m²101.3 – 161.1
Spinnaker109.6 m²105.2 – 140.6

The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 101 to 161 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.