Farr 38

Summary

The Farr 38, also called the Farr 11.6m, is a sailboat that was designed by New Zealander Bruce Farr as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1978. It is Farr Yacht Design number 72.[1][2][3][4]

Farr 38
Development
DesignerBruce Farr
LocationNew Zealand
Year1978
No. built85
Builder(s)Spindrift Yacht Inc
Marina Bracuhy
RoleRacer-Cruiser
NameFarr 38
Boat
Displacement10,600 lb (4,808 kg)
Draft6.50 ft (1.98 m)
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionCold-moulded wood and fibreglass
LOA38.25 ft (11.66 m)
LWL31.17 ft (9.50 m)
Beam12.00 ft (3.66 m)
Engine typePathfinder 40 hp (30 kW) diesel engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board typefin keel
Ballast4,100 lb (1,860 kg)
Rudder(s)internally-mounted spade-type rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I foretriangle height43.00 ft (13.11 m)
J foretriangle base13.33 ft (4.06 m)
P mainsail luff44.92 ft (13.69 m)
E mainsail foot19.92 ft (6.07 m)
Sails
SailplanFractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area402.48 sq ft (37.392 m2)
Jib/genoa area286.60 sq ft (26.626 m2)
Total sail area689.08 sq ft (64.018 m2)
Racing
PHRF83

The Farr 38 is sometimes confused with an earlier Farr 38 design. This unrelated design was produced as a single boat, the Jenny H, constructed in 1977.[1]

Production edit

The design was built on a production basis in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. It was built by Spindrift Yacht Inc in Canada and by Marina Bracuhy in Brazil. A number of boats were built by amateur boatbuilders from purchased plans as well. Collectively they completed 85 examples, with production commencing in 1978, but it is now out of production.[1][3][4]

Design edit

The Farr 38 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of cold-moulded wood, finished with epoxy and polyurethane and fibreglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with polyurethane-painted aluminum spars, a raked stem, a reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller or optional wheel and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 10,600 lb (4,808 kg) and carries 4,100 lb (1,860 kg) of ballast.[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 6.50 ft (1.98 m) with the standard keel fitted.[1]

The boat is fitted with a Pathfinder diesel engine of 40 hp (30 kW) for docking and manoeuvring. The fuel tank holds 20 U.S. gallons (76 L; 17 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 105 U.S. gallons (400 L; 87 imp gal).[1]

The design has sleeping accommodation for eight people. There is a bow cabin, with a "V"-berth, two settee berths in the main cabin and two quarter berths aft, one of which is a double berth. The galley is located on the starboard side at the foot of the companionway steps and features a two-burner liquefied petroleum gas stove and an oven. Pressurized water and a refrigerator were factory options. The navigation station is to port, opposite the galley. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin, on the port side and includes a shower.[3]

Sail controls include four halyard winches, two secondary and two primary jib winches and a one general purpose winch. The halyards and outhaul are mounted internally, as is the jiffy reefing system. There is a 4:1 mechanical advantage boom vang, as well as an adjustable backstay. The mainsheet traveller is mounted on the bridge deck and genoa tracks and lead blocks are provided. The boat can be fitted with a spinnaker for downwind sailing.[3]

Anodized spars and a wooden deck made from cedar were also factory options.[3]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 83.[3]

Operational history edit

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "cold-molded wood, unusual in a boat of this size, is used for construction. The hull framing is cedar and the skins, spruce. Planking is thin strips adhesive-bonded in diagonal and longitudinal laminations. The result is a high-performance cruiser that has been successfully raced."[3]

See also edit

Similar sailboats

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Farr 38 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Bruce Farr". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 324-325. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
  4. ^ a b Farr Yacht Design (2018). "Farr 11.6/Farr 38". farrdesign.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2020.