Frers 40
Description
The Frers 40 most commonly refers to the Frers 40 (Holby), a performance cruiser-racer designed by renowned Argentine naval architect German Frers and built by Holby Marine in the USA starting in 1986. This fiberglass monohull masthead sloop features a fin keel with spade rudder, emphasizing speed, balanced handling, and good all-around sailing characteristics suitable for club racing, coastal cruising, and occasional offshore passages—known for its elegant lines, lively performance in varied conditions, and a reasonably accommodating interior (V-berth forward, saloon settees, galley, head, and quarter berths sleeping 6). Production was limited (exact number not widely documented, but Holby Marine built a small series of Frers designs in the '80s, likely under 20-30 hulls total for this model), making it a rare classic from the post-IOR era; some examples appear in listings from Peru or elsewhere, with occasional custom or one-off Frers 40s (e.g., the 1980 Australian "Hitchhiker" racer) but the Holby version is the primary production model at this length.
Construction Details
| Designer | German Frers |
|---|---|
| Builder | Holby Marine Co. |
| Length | 40.120 ft |
| LOA | 40.120 ft |
| LWL | 32.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1986 |
| Notes | This differs from the more famous Swan 40 (Frers) / Swan 40-2, a separate Nautor-built model from 1992–2001 with 58 hulls, LOA 40.25 ft, deeper draft options up to 8.2 ft, and higher sail area ~830 ft²—often just called "Swan 40 Frers" to distinguish from the older S&S Swan 40. |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53.35 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15.50 ft |
| p | 47.07 ft |
| e | 14.15 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.35 ft | 15.50 ft | 47.07 ft | 14.15 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Frers 40 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 47.07 ft - (14347 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.15 ft - (4313 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.53 ft - (14792 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.98 ° |
| Diagonal | * 48.67 ft - (14835 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 332.67 ft² |
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Frers 40 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 44.44 ft - (13545 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.23 ft - (6166 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.17 ft - (11939 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.83 ft - (5435 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 396.13 ft² |
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Frers 40 - GENOA
| Luff | * 52.78 ft - (16087 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.77 ft - (7550 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.96 ft - (15228 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 23.25 ft - (7087 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 613.44 ft² |
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Frers 40 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 52.78 ft - (16087 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 27.9 ft - (8504 mm) |
| Foot | * 27.9 ft - (8504 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1251.68 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.