Review of Luffe 40

Both the hull and the deck is made of hand laid fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of hand laid fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The hull is a double hull which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.
The deck is a double deck which improves the indoor climate.

The boat is equipped with 3 cabins, 7 berths, a galley, 100.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.

The Luffe 40 is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

The Luffe 40 has been built with different keel alternatives.

Fin keel

The Luffe 40 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.88 - 1.98 meter (6.17 - 6.47 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Unknown keel type

Luffe 40 may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta 2002 diesel engine at 18 hp (13 kW). The speed is 8.0 knots.

The transmission is a saildrive.

The fuel tank, which is made of stainless steel, has a capacity of 100.0 liters (26 US gallons, 21 imperial gallons).

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Luffe 40 is 1.93, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.9 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Luffe 40 is about 232 kg/cm, alternatively 1300 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 232 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1300 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Luffe 40 is 19.3 - 20.1.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Luffe 40 is 3.64.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Luffe 40 is 41%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Luffe 40 is 120 which categorizes this boat among 'ultra light racers'.

What is Relative Speed Performance?

The Relative Speed Performance for Luffe 40 is 98

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 41m² (441 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Luffe 40 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.