Ker 46
Updated
The Ker 46 is a 13.98 m planing racing yacht designed by Jason Ker and built by McConaghy, first launched in 2012. It races in Class 0.
Length
13.98 m
45′ 10″
Beam
4.35 m
Draft
3.28 m
Displacement
5.9 t
Sail area
127 m²
On the podium
Where a Ker 46 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
21%
of 102 starts by 4 boats
Wins
7%
Read from 102 starts by 4 boats between 2022 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Ker 46 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
73° Loro Piana Giraglia2026- ORC World Championship2026
- Genova Sailing Week2026
North Sea Regatta2026- SAILWORKZ-Stellendam Regatta2026
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
26%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
21%
of these races end on the podium
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 Ker 46 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the Ker 46 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
6.71
37°
Beam reach
11.97
90°
Broad reach
14.93
135°
Downwind VMG
12.37
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 needs pressure to show what it can do. On a windy coastal course it is in its element; on a light-air windward-leeward it has to be sailed well to hold on.
Where it gains
Its best ground is on the run in a strong breeze, where it does more than its size and sail area promise, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage on a broad reach as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
It falls short on the beat once it pipes up, giving away time it never gets back. That is a hull that wants to get up and go, and needs pressure to do it.
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 1.6 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the downwind.
How fast is a Ker 46
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 4.88 | 6.14 | 6.54 | 6.71 |
| 52° | 7.40 | 8.74 | 9.20 | 9.53 |
| 60° | 7.80 | 9.07 | 9.62 | 10.00 |
| 75° | 8.11 | 9.50 | 10.27 | 10.89 |
| 90° | 8.14 | 9.68 | 10.80 | 11.97 |
| 110° | 7.85 | 9.75 | 11.23 | 13.21 |
| 120° | 7.52 | 9.73 | 11.43 | 14.02 |
| 135° | 6.80 | 9.37 | 11.54 | 14.93 |
| 150° | 5.69 | 8.32 | 10.16 | 14.29 |
| Run VMG | 4.93 | 7.20 | 8.80 | 12.37 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 1010 kg.
Rigging
Ker 46 rig and sail dimensions
A Ker 46 carries 19.25 m of mainsail hoist on a 6.03 m boom, a forestay 18.04 m above the deck and a 8.10 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 4 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails