Farr Yacht Design, Farr International, and Carroll Marine–the collaborative that designed, marketed, and built the Mumm 30 and Farr 40 One-Design–are at it again, this time with an all-carbon 36-foot one-design.
At only 6,700 pounds its 1,450 poundslighter than Farrs Mumm 36 design. “We pulled a lot of weight out of the hull by using carbon,” says designer Bruce Farr. “It should have hugely powered-up performance.”
According to Farr Internationals Geoff Stagg, the design brief called for “a strict one-design class that combines superb performance, offshore capability, and excellent transportability with reasonable cost.” As with any new design, the boat has gone through several permutations. The first drawings reflected Staggs request for a “flat-out” boat and had both topmast and primary running backstays, but, says Farr, “We decided that wed like to sell the boat to 200 people rather than 50, so we made a small performance compromise and put in a solid backstay, cut some roach off the main, and added 18 inches to the rig. Its more of a challenge for sailmakers, but it makes the boat easier to handle. This is a result of a strong message from the market; people want performance but they also want to be able to sail with a minimum amount of crew.” As it stands now, the 36 will have 877 square feet of upwind sail area. The masthead asymmetric spinnaker measures in at 1,319 square feet.
Other performance features include the all-carbon, high-aspect keel with T-bulb. “A forged-steel blade works out to be just as expensive as carbon for us,” says Barry Carroll. “The carbon blade will be lighter, allowing the weight to be used deeper, in the bulb, and will be easier to build fair, eliminating the need for filler.”
The 36’s mast, boom, and bowsprit will also be carbon, likely built by Hall Spars. Its deck layout will be clean and simple, aided in part by an unobtrusive cabin top. “It’s really more of a blister,” says Carroll. “And that allows for transverse tracks for the headsail.”
For those crewmembers and owners afraid theyll never leave the rail during a long race, Farr says, “Weve run tests that show that people in their bunks on the high side are every bit as effective as someone doing an average hiking job on the rail.” With that in mind, the design calls for four bunks per side, an enclosed head, stove, and sink; the interior wont be palatial, but should be comfortable enough for most distance events.
At press time, the design was nearly finalized except for the engineering for the keel, which will either be retractable for access to shallow areas, or only raised dockside, alongside a hoist. Hull No. 1 is scheduled for a spring 2001 launch at a boat-only price of about $190,000.
LOA 36 ft.
Beam 11.75 ft.
Draft 8.6 ft.
DSPL 6,700 lbs.
SA 877/2,196 sq. ft.
www.farrinternational.com
www.carrollmarine.com
New Products
The Rules in Practice
Few of us know the rules as well as we should because it simply takes more time than most of us have to figure out the finer points. Bryan Willis comes to our aid with his latest title, 2001-2004 The Rules in Practice.
Published by Fernhurst Books in England, Rules in Practice is excellent. It gives detailed and well illustrated examples of virtually every rules situation you may encounter. The clear, concise language will offer everyone, beginner and pro alike, more insight into properly using the rules. $15.95, available in the United States from Motorbooks International, 800-458-0454
Harken Furling System
After watching the Volvo 60s tear around the world with their Code Zero sails, you may be ready to tell your sailmaker to whip one up for you. Start by looking at the hardware you’ll need. Harken has introduced a furling system specifically designed for sails that operate in the 30- to 50-degree wind-angle range–Code Zeros, as well as screechers, gennakers, and staysails. Trickling down from custom gear designed and used in the Volvo 60 class, these production models use a rope driver and a small amount of continuous line. The rope rides on a large-diameter, octagonalsheave that grips the line like a self-tailing winch. The height of the furling drum is minimal, allowing maximum luff lengths. The unit also comes with an adapter kit that creates a 2-to-1 purchase in the halyard or tack line to allow for higher luff tension. Three sizes for boats from 35 to 95 feet are available. From $1,200, www.harken.com, 262-691-3008
Speedtech Weather Watch Pro
Looking for an accurate weather station for your boat but lack waterline length? Consider Speedtech’s latest offering, the Weather Watch Pro. The wrist-mounted system sports a compass, barometer, altimeter, thermometer, and a flip-up anemometer. The user can choose between metric and U.S. scales. Of course, it’ll also tell you the time, wake you up, and count down a race start. “It’s nice to see a watch with all these features that doesn’t cost too much,” says SW senior editor Stuart Streuli. “It’s a little awkward for everyday wear, but it’s great when you’re trying to figure out which sail to rig and how much neoprene to wear for a day of windsurfing.” $149, www.speedtech.com
