Gary, I have a 40 Ocean in Brighton. You're welcome to drop by for a cup of tea, a tour and a chat (PM me) - I've refitted the boat myself in the last year and a half and know her intimately.
Broker photos from 2007, now packed with cruising gear and my personal effects.
I went a similar route - my final shortlist was the Moody 425 or the Bavaria 38/40 Ocean, and I'm glad I went for the Bavaria. Funny enough, I didn't even consider Bavarias until I noticed they were making a (somewhat rare) centre cockpit model.
Selling points for me were the lovely aft cabin with berths for tall people, standing headroom, the galley in the walkway (perfect for cooking at sea - brace yourself with bum against engine room), end-boom mainsheet at the helm (I single-hand her often) second water tank in the bow and heavier displacement lead keel. The massive engine room turned out to be a huge boon (great access and with added shelfing lots of storage room).
If you have a choice, try finding one with the original MD22 engine - that's the one the boat was designed for. The later D2-55 has the service side the wrong way around, and is far less well documented by DIYers, plus you can't scavenge parts from old British car engines ;-)