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Performance & Speed

Pj 40 Ss Performance

How the Pj 40 Ss performs on the water — racing handicap, speed, sail-carrying power, stability and comfort.

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Hull Speed

The theoretical displacement-mode speed limit — determined by waterline length, not engine or sail power.

7.2 kts
A displacement hull pushes a bow wave whose speed is limited by the waterline length. With a waterline of 28.5′, the Pj 40 Ss tops out around 7.2 knots in displacement mode — after that, the bow wave outruns the hull and resistance climbs steeply.
1.34 × √28.5′ LWL = 7.2 kts

Performance Ratios

Racing handicap, sail-carrying power, stability and comfort — and what each one actually tells you about a day on the water.

Ballast / Displacement
41.6%
Stiff enough to carry a big genoa comfortably into moderate breeze.
Displacement / Length
365
Heavy displacement — a slow, steady, seakindly hull.
Hull Speed
7.2kts
Pounds/Inch Immersion
7lbs
Weight needed to sink the hull one inch — loading sensitivity.

PHRF Fleet Position

Where the Pj 40 Ss sits on the PHRF handicap spectrum — lower numbers mean faster boats.

Racer 0–90
Cruiser/Racer 90–150
Cruiser 150–210
Swan 39 84s/nm
Cal 40 120s/nm
Swan 40 Ss 126s/nm
Pearson 39 132s/nm

How It Compares

Side-by-side with the boats most often cross-shopped against the Pj 40 Ss.

Pj 40 Ss Cal 40 Cc 39 Pearson 39 Swan 39 Swan 40 Ss
Dimensions
LOA 39.3 39.3 39.3 39.3 39.3 39.3
LWL 28.5 30.3 31.7 30.0 31.5 28.5
Beam 10.8 11.0 11.5 11.7 12.5 10.8
Displacement 19 15 17 17 18 19
Ballast 7 6 7 7 7
Sail Area 700 726 761 709
Performance
PHRF 120 132 84 126
SA/Disp 18.5 17.6 17.8 16.0
Bal/Disp 41.6 40.0 42.9 43.9 41.6
Comfort 28.8 30.1 28.5 38.7
Capsize 1.79 1.79 1.91 1.63
Hull Speed 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.2