Performance cruiser

I don't think I'll pick on the hull. It has the look of just about everything else we have seen coming out of the Farr office over the last five years. Its IMS origins are obvious with the minimal bow overhang and the flattened canoe-body profile in the way of the keel. The bow in plan view is not overly fine. The stern is broad. I think we can assume that this is not the shape the Farr office would have drawn if it didn't have accommodations to think about.

The D/L is 136. This boat weighs 12,500 pounds and has the same DWL as a Valiant 42. Beam is moderate at 12 feet, 1 inch. You can have either the deep-draft keel at 7 feet, 10 inches or the shoal at 5 feet, 10 inches. Obviously this boat would be much happier with the deeper keel if you were to expect the full performance potential.

The keel is the typical Farr type with a bulb tip and a large fillet radius at the leading edge/hull intersection. The sheerline is very flat. If there is any spring to it at all it can't be more than 2 inches. Still, Farr has always had a way with his distinctive sheerlines, and this one looks good. Remember, a straight-line sheer is only a straight line when your eye is exactly at 90 degrees to the sheer.

The accommodation plan for this 40-footer is laid out for three couples. The V-berth double is shoved way up into the bow, but there's still enough room to keep from being too cramped in the toes.

Considering I have my picky hat on, I would say that this boat doesn't have many lockers. There are two minimal hanging lockers and no wet locker. Note that there are no lockers outboard of the settees. These settees are carried as far outboard as hull shape will allow. There is just no volume left for storage space. I can't see a handy spot for my guitar.

I like this settee arrangement with the drop-leaf table. Drop-leaf tables aren't sexy, but they are usually the best solution. The galley is fine. There is actually counter space each side of the range.

The deck plan features a nice big cockpit with the traveler right in front of the wheel. There appear to be shallow line lockers over the quarter berths but not much of a lazarette. All lines are led aft and the mainsheet is on a double-ended system led to the secondary winches.

The side decks are clear as there is only a short length of jib track adjacent to the mast. The carbon fiber bowsprit for the asymmetrical chute is retractable into the hull. The flag pole (not shown) is also made of carbon fiber.

This is a good deck layout. Most cruising boats have cockpits that are too small. This cockpit is large, and while it does encroach on the headroom aft, this seems a reasonable compromise to me. There is a transom swim step. I can't find anything to be picky about with this deck layout.

The rig shows an SA/D of 24.35. This a good figure for a spirited family boat. It's far more horsepower per pound than you would have found in a similarly oriented boat from the '70s but still far short of today's hot rods. The jib has a small amount of overlap, but there are no genoas intended for this design. The chainplates are aft and show a 19-degree sweep angle. The sheeting angle from the tack point to the jib track is 13 degrees. The asymmetrical chute flies from the masthead.

In current fashion this design is being promoted as a "one design" with class management by Farr International, in part to "ensure true Corinthian amateur owner driving." I guess it's come to that today. To my eye this just looks like a nice all-around PHRF racer/cruiser. It kind of makes you long for the days when dad drove, mom did the tactics and the crew was made up of the kids and their friends. That sounds like fun.