Blue Water Sailing Advice

[stocph]

Hey everyone - I need help deciding on blue water cruiser in the 40' range. The plan is to liveaboard in Newport, RI for approximately 1 year to shake her down in New England waters. Afterwards, my wife and I plan to circumnavigate generally following the east - west trade route (East Coast, Panama Canal, South Pacific...etc). We'll be in the tropics for most of the time.

I'm budgeting about $350k towards the purchase and re-outfit of the boat. I've setup the following filters to help limit the field:

- Excellent sailing performance (PHRF < 150)
- Comfort & Saftey at sea
- Capsize Ratio < 2.0
- Comfort Ratio > 30
- 2 Berths, large galley (we love to cook!)
- Holds value

Top 4 contenders are:

HR 39, Passport 40, Valiant 42, Norseman 400 Custom

Any thoughts on the boats? What else should I be looking with that budget in mind?

Thanks!