© Walter Cooper

The King 40 is far from extreme, and it blends the best of what's new and what's proven with crossover designs. The King 40's manageable and powerful sail plan, its IRC-friendly attributes, and its efficient deck layout make it a suitable raceboat for distance and buoy racing.

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When SW's judges convened for their final deliberations after nearly a week of test sailing in Annapolis Md., there was little debate that the King 40, from Summit Yachts, is-from the keel to the top of its carbon rig-the quintessential raceboat. Of course, one would expect such a hit from the two partners responsible for the boat: Barry Carroll, formerly of Carroll Marine, and George Carabetta, one of the first owners to embrace the Farr 40 class. The two of them, plus designer Mark Mills, and the builder King Marine in Argentina have delivered a versatile package that's fun to sail, well built, IRC competitive, and priced to move.

Originally designed for consideration in New York YC's search for a new one-design class (the Frers-designed Swan 42 got that nod), the King 40 is first and foremost intended for full-crew racing, and everything about it reflects this. Halyards and the jib-lead controls are all led under the deck. "The systems are similar to other boats we sailed [during the week]," said Allen. "But when you get into the sail handling, the King 40 just has an edge, both upwind and downwind."

The essential controls were easy to reach from the rail, the cockpit coamings are comfortable, and for the trimmers and the pitman, everything is ergonomically right. "The cockpit is awesome," said Allen. "And, if you're in the middle hiking and you need to get to the vang it's easy to get to." Another system the judges really liked was the push-button electric/hydraulic backstay system, with the controls located next to the mainsail trimmer's position.

The King 40 presented to our judges was hull No. 1, and had a full season of campaigning under its waterline, so the interior wasn't the straight-from-the-factory finish the judges normally see. This wasn't only a result of normal race crew abuse; slight imperfections in the interior finish were obviously first-build issues. Being broken in, however, has its advantages, as all the systems on the boat were refined, and the sail package fit the rig perfectly.