Farr (Mumm) 30

I tend to agree with you although I found it a novel idea of rejuvinating a dying class. And I don't know either how much a conversion would cost and how well it would do on rating. J80 - fantastic boat and a lot of money for what they are. If you have got a load of dosh the new J111 is awsome.

My 2 pennies: Even though I would agree that the Farr 30 is perhaps not the typical IRC boat, the reputation is worse than the actual situation. It is a fact that a Farr 30 won the IRC Nationals in Sweden 2009 and the IRC class in Round Gotland Race 2010, Sweden's biggest "offshore" race. The Farr 30 won before Corby designs, the King 40 and other more typical IRC boats. So it can be done.

My experience of handicap racing in the Farr 30 is that it is capable of delivering results both in light winds (up and down) and in the heavier stuff if you get enough downwind angles in a race. Of course, a 30 feet boat with 40 feet performance will have a soft spot and the lack of waterline length is obviously tough to deal with if you get a long upwind leg where waterline pays off. OTOH, other boats that have the waterline and can deal with the heavier stuff will suffer both when the wind is light and when the Farr 30 have planing conditions, like 20-25 knot TWS.

Given the very good economy in campaigning the F30, I wouldn't be so quick ruling it out.

Thanks Mark - yes, I did notice some pretty tiny keels in the air watching clips of chinese jibes... We don't have the heaviest of boats at the moment so I'm not unfamiliiar with 'tippiness', and as for IRC, well we don't win anything under IRC anyway, so it'll just be for the joy of it! Buying one isn't cast in stone, but we'd like to find a boat that's both quick and reasonably priiced. And more importantly, fun! I believe that's why we do it...

Thanks for this, I'm grateful for your reply... I don't think that I'm surprised by any of your comments, and we're aware that IRC doesn't like boats like the Farr 30. There are a few french boats (or based in France) on the market since the adoption of the M34 for the Toure de Voile. Hopefully they might have been better maintained... Still curious to hear other people's experience with them, I can't believe that you are the only one!

For some years I've watched the videos in awe... And now thinking about buying one. I would like to learn more, but there seem to be very few in the UK. I'd like to ask any owners or crew past and present their views of the boat, the good and the bad, so that we can decide where to go next.