In the mid 1970s, Gary Hoyt (former Finn Olympian and Sunfish World Champion) became convinced that a freestanding spar would be just as fast and efficient on a cruising boat as he found it to be on a Finn. Hoyt proceeded to create a design that he felt would make an ideal cruising boat. When finished, Hoyt asked naval architect Halsey Herreshoff to prepare the lines of a jaunty full-keeled cruising boat that sported a centerboard, a cat ketch rig and two freestanding spars.

Hoyt made the masts freestanding to produce a lower center of effort in the sailplan. And, the two sails could be easily handled and set wing on wing to gain drive and balance downwind. The prototype had aluminum masts, wooden wishbone booms, wraparound sails, and a draft of 3'6' when the centerboard was retracted. Hoyt began the production version of the Freedom 40 in 1977, built in Rhode Island by Tillotson-Pearson.

The distinctive hull design featured a "pirate ship" style cabin at the stern with six opening ports in addition to he hatch and companionway. The combination provided an airy private aft cabin for the skipper. A large center cockpit area divided the aft cabin from the forward cabin that contained the galley, dining area, head and forepeak bunks. Special davits on the ort side allowed easy storage and launching of an 11-foot pulling boat.

Refinements over the years included shifting from aluminum mast section to carbon fiber; replacing the wooden wishbone booms and wraparound sails with convention aluminum and fully battened sails mounted on tracks. More than 90 Freedom 40s were built. The pioneer role played by the Freedom 40 has been an important part of making the sport of sailing more enjoyable.

Charles Mason, SAIL Magazine