Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Baltic/Biscay

Information

Design of a 40 Adriatic with large cockpit

The Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Baltic was the successor of the Royal Cruiser 38 and the top model in Storebros classic design program that started with the Storebro Royal Cruiser 34. The Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 was offered similar to the Royal Cruiser 31 as Baltic with aft cabin and as Biscay with large cockpit. Her hull was identical to that of the Storebro Royal Cruiser 38 and the project was also launched as Storebro Royal Cruiser 38. The designation changed then by the changed measurement. The ship was delivered exclusively with closed deckhouse. Open variants as in the Storebro Royal Cruiser 34, 31 and 38 were no longer developed. Although there were plans for an Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Adriatic, this was never built.

The Storebro SRC 40 heralded the end of the mahogany-built hulls and deckhouses. After the production of solid wooden hulls was set previously, the deckhouses were now manufactured entirely in GRP. Unlike the Royal Cruiser 31 not even parts of the deckhouse were made of wood. With the production in GFK one tried to fullfill several current conditions. On the one hand, the availability of high-quality mahogany declined, on the other hand, customers wished easy-care ships. But also, the always growing level of equipment influenced the design. Since the anchor catapult was ordered by more and more customers, the top shape of the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 already possessed by default a base for it. For ships that were delivered without catapult, a teak plate was mounted.

In the interior design, the shipyard clearly put more emphasis on comfort. So, the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 was the first with a bar cabinet, which should be standard for later models. Also, the U-sofa in the decksalon had dimensions of a different character than the dinette opposite the galley. The exchange of WC and galley allowed an open galley, so deck saloon and cabin were one unit. This measure was standard for later Storebro ships too.

Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Biscay for the Swedish Coast Guard

Storebro also offered the Royal Cruiser 40 for commercial purposes. The hull number 2729 was a Biscay and was delivered to the Swedish Coast Guard. The interior of the ship was performed significantly Spartan. Instead of U-Dinette three rows single seats were fitted to carry passengers. The otherwise in the Biscay assembled sliding door was replaced by a conventional door. You can find more pictures of this boat at images.

From the start of production, the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 was offered with Volvo Penta TAMD 60B (163 kW/221 hp) or Volvo Penta TAMD 70D (199 kW/270 hp). In fact, the TAMD 60B was only installed once in an Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Biscay without flybridge. The TAMD 70D remained standard, followed by the more powerful TAMD 70E (241 kW/291 hp) from the end of 1983. This enabled the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 to reach a top speed of just under 25 knots.
From the end of 1986, the revised and again significantly more powerful TAMD 71A (253 kw/344 hp) were used, with which the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 reached a top speed of just under 26 knots.
All TAMD 7x versions were equipped with hydraulic TwinDisc MG 507 gearboxes.

In 1986, the shipyard carried out a major model upgrade. The outwardly visible sign of this was the significantly enlarged flybridge. Contrary to what the appearance might suggest, not only a new flybridge but also a new deck top shell was required, as the original model had an integrated wind deflector on the roof, which was in the way when the new flybridge was used. Due to higher production costs, the new flybridge was offered as an "option" in the year of presentation. It then became the production standard from 1987. As no official plans had been made to retrofit older ships, subsequent changes to the flybridge were very costly and, in the shipyard's opinion, not worthwhile.

Other striking features of the model upgrade were the changed layout of the pentry in a U-shape, the cassette-shaped doors of all kinds and the roof console above the helm station to accommodate navigation equipment.

Like the Storebro Royal Cruiser 31 before it, the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 was offered with two gelcoat colours from the start of production. Customers had the choice between foam white (Jotun GS 200/GS 2000 or NGA 2000 or Reichhold NGA 199) or ivory (Jotun GS 336/3036 or Norpol GS 30036). In fact, only very few ships were built in ivory colour. The standard remained the white Storebro Royal Cruiser 40.

• The Swedish Royal Family with their Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Biscay (s/n 2731)

  A very popular owner of a Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 was His Majesty, the King of Sweden. He owned one of the first 40 Biscay (s/n 2731).
• The fact that the royal ship should reach the Royal Yacht Club in Stockholm made a folding radar arch necessary. Only with lowered radar arch the bridge to the yacht club can be passed. Later, with the development of the Gullwing mast electric raising and lowering of the mast was offered as an option.

• Draft Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Baltic with flybridge	Draft Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Baltic without flybridge

  In a report on W.H. Wilke around in 1977/78 in the German boat magazine "boote" or "Stander" a boat with the styling of the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 has been presented. But almost 43 feet long. The design featured different constructions for the version with or without flybridge. Also available were the two side sliding doors, which were still found in the first brochure material. The layout of the aft cabin obviously based on the layout of the first Storebro Royal Cruiser 38. Those who had a closer look at the boat with flybridge could see the later S logo of the SRC 40.
• The original brochure from 1979 shows a layout with two side doors in decksalon. However, these were never built in series. The layout image in the plan view always included the planned doors. Under images you can see a picture of an individual built boat with a side door on the port side.
• An enduring theme across many Storebro designs was the view outwards from the sofa. Winfried Wilke favoured the straight-cut windows of the original design. However, the shipyard wanted to improve the view and therefore had the side windows cut further down. The theme was then realised directly on the Storebro Royal Cruiser 36. In the meantime, a small platform (as later on the SRC 340 and SRC 380) was also used to improve visibility.
• According to the catalogue and the price lists from 1979 onwards, the flybridge and the aft cabin were to be an option. In fact, however, only 13 Biscay were built without, but 83 Baltic with aft cabin (confirmed figures).
  The flybridge was ordered for almost all ships. There are currently only three known ships without a flybridge. In 1991, a Baltic version was delivered to a Finnish customer. The English agent Paul Hadley Boatsales offered an Storebro Royal Cruiser 40 Biscay without flybridge a few years ago. Another Biscay was delivered to Italy in 1987.

Steel Cruiser 40 Biscay in steel

The reputation and quality made Storebro boats very desirable. Like the smaller sister Storebro Royal Cruiser 34, there are also replicas of the Storebro Royal Cruiser 40.

Technical development