Viper 640

The Viper 640 is an American trailerable sailboat, that was designed by Brian Bennett for racing and first built in 1996.[1][2]

Viper 640
Development
DesignerBrian Bennett
LocationUnited States
Year1996
No. built400
Builder(s)Viper Boats
Rondar Raceboats
Boat
Boat weight750 lb (340 kg)
Draft4.49 ft (1.37 m) daggerboard down
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA21.08 ft (6.43 m)
LWL19.08 ft (5.82 m)
Beam8.17 ft (2.49 m)
Engine typeOutboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board typebulb daggerboard keel
Ballast262 lb (119 kg)
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I (foretriangle height)21.98 ft (6.70 m)
J (foretriangle base)7.48 ft (2.28 m)
P (mainsail luff)25.62 ft (7.81 m)
E (mainsail foot)10.07 ft (3.07 m)
Sails
SailplanFractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area129.00 sq ft (11.984 m2)
Jib/genoa area82.21 sq ft (7.638 m2)
Spinnaker area425 sq ft (39.5 m2)
Total sail area211.20 sq ft (19.621 m2)
Racing
PHRF99 (average)

The Viper 640 is an accepted World Sailing class boat[3] and the official one-design boat of the Gulf Yachting Association for its Capdevielle Series.[4]

Production

The boat was originally built by Viper Boats in the United States and then in 2005 Rondar Raceboats of the United Kingdom was named the official class manufacturer. 400 examples had been completed by 2018.[1][5]

Design

Viper 640 flying its spinnaker
Viper 640, showing the open transom

The Viper 640 was designed to combine the planing performance of a dinghy with the stability of a keelboat. The result is a small recreational planing keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with carbon fiber spars. It has a fractional sloop rig, a plumb stem, an open transom, a transom-hung rudder and a lifting fin daggerboard-style keel, with a weighted bulb, with 220 lb (100 kg) of lead ballast. The keel is retained in the down position with two bolts while sailing. The design displaces 750 lb (340 kg) and is equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker of 425 sq ft (39.5 m2) for downwind sailing.[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 4.49 ft (1.37 m) with the daggerboard extended and 1.83 ft (0.56 m) with it retracted, allowing ground transportation on a trailer.[1]

The boat may be optionally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 99 with a high of 111 and low of 96. It has a hull speed of 5.85 kn (10.83 km/h).[6]

See also

References

  1. Browning, Randy (2018). "Viper 640 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  2. Browning, Randy (2018). "Brian Bennett". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. Rondar Raceboats (2018). "Rondar Viper 640 - Specification - Now a World Sailing Class!". www.rondarboats.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  4. "GYA Selects Viper 640 As New Capdevielle Boat!!". Viper640.org. 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  5. Browning, Randy (2018). "Rondar Raceboats". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  6. InterVisionSoft LLC (2018). "Sailboat Specifications for Viper 640". Sailing Joy. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
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