2 min read · Updated 19 May 2026
The Fast 40+ and the Melges 40 are contemporaries of almost the same length, both aimed at the top of 40-foot Grand Prix racing — but they take opposite routes. The Fast 40+ is a fixed-keel box-rule class, where designs vary within set limits; the Melges 40 is a canting-keel strict one-design, where every boat is identical. Invicta is a Melges 40, and the contrast with the Fast 40+ is one of philosophy as much as hardware.
Box rule versus strict one-design
The deepest difference is the rule. A box rule sets limits — length, weight, sail area, draft — and lets designers optimise within that box, so no two Fast 40+ boats are exactly alike and design development is part of the game. The same principle drives the larger TP52, compared in Melges 40 vs TP52.
The Melges 40 takes the other path: a strict one-design where the boats are built to be identical, so the racing is decided by crew work and tactics rather than by who has the cleverest hull. Both approaches produce excellent racing; they simply reward different things.
Power and the canting keel
The Melges 40 was conceived to be a notably powerful 40-footer. Set against the Fast 40+ benchmark of its era, it carries substantially more sail area and generates more righting moment from a much lighter keel bulb — because its canting keel swings ballast out to windward rather than hanging it straight down. The Fast 40+, with a fixed keel, leans more on hull form and crew weight on the rail for its stability.
| Feature | Fast 40+ | Melges 40 | | --- | --- | --- | | Length | ~40 ft | ~12.2 m (~40 ft) | | Keel | Fixed | Canting | | Rule | Box rule | Strict one-design | | Stability | Fixed ballast + crew | Canting ballast | | Identical boats | No | Yes |
Which suits whom
The Fast 40+ appeals to owners who enjoy the design-and-development side of the sport, optimising a boat within a box to find an edge. The Melges 40 appeals to those who want that edge removed — a powerful, canting-keel thoroughbred where the best-sailed boat wins, not the best-funded development programme. For the full specification of our class, see the Melges 40 explained, and read about the boat itself on the boat page.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a Fast 40+ and a Melges 40?
- The Fast 40+ is a box-rule class of roughly 40-foot fixed-keel race boats, where designs can differ within set limits. The Melges 40 is a strict one-design where every boat is identical, and it has a canting keel rather than a fixed one. So the Fast 40+ is a design contest within a box, while the Melges 40 is a one-design contest decided purely by the crew.
- Which is more powerful, the Fast 40+ or the Melges 40?
- The Melges 40 was designed to be exceptionally powerful for its length. Compared with a Fast 40+ it carries significantly more sail area and generates more righting moment from a much lighter keel bulb, thanks to its canting keel. The Fast 40+ relies on a fixed keel and crew weight on the rail for its stability.
- What is a box rule?
- A box rule sets limits — on length, weight, sail area, draft and other measurements — within which designers are free to optimise. Boats built to a box rule are not identical, so design and development are part of the competition. It sits between strict one-design, where boats are the same, and open handicap racing.
- Are the Fast 40+ and Melges 40 raced in the same places?
- Not really. The Fast 40+ grew up as a UK-based box-rule circuit, while the Melges 40 was built for a short-lived European one-design Grand Prix series and now races in scattered locations. They are contemporaries and similar in length, but they were never a single fleet.