High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Valiant 40 was the first boat designed by naval architect Robert Perry, it was introduced in 1973. The boat is configured as a rear cockpit double-ender, cutter rigged monohull. The boat's design was considered revolutionary at that time by bringing aspects of racing design into open ocean cruising yachts which up to then meant heavy and slow traditional boats. The Valiant 40 is credited with birthing the category of the "performance cruiser". It was the first open-ocean going cruising monohull to have a modified keel designed to reduce weight and wetted surface while increasing speed and ease of propulsion of the hull shape by the wind. At least three Valiant 40s were built with centerboards.