The Block Island 40, also known as the Vitesse 40, is an American sailboat that was designed by William Tripp, Jr. in 1956–1957 and first built in 1957.

The design was originally commissioned in 1956 for a Connecticut lawyer named Frederick Lorenzen, who said of wooden boats of the time, "I don't like them.

[6][9] Initially, a Dutch company, Van Breems International (VBI), was to build Tripp's design as the Vitesse 40.

[10] The Beetle Boat Division of American Boatbuilding Corporation built a total of 22 hulls of the Mark I design.

[5] Metalmast Marine made significant changes to the design, including changes to the stern, coachroof, rudder, centerboard, and keel.