Farr 3.7

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Oh dear the meeting was rather a let down: racing abandoned on the Saturday and the race officer (very good) did well to get four races in on Sunday. Little wind on day one and the forecast breeze barely made it on day two.

Such a pity as the turnout was excellent with 80 plus dinghies of all sorts and it would have been an excellent opportunity to compare the performance of the Farr against others. So what did I learn?

On Sunday the wind was largely easterly, 7 - 12 knots (very occasionally) with significant swell, only marginal trapezing. I was racing in non-spinnaker singlehanders made up of an RS300, several Phantoms, D Zeros, Aero 9, Europes, Lasers with various sails, fleet size about twentyfive. All were sailed well, the fleet was competitive and the starting line nip and tuck.

On the water and on the wind in marginal trapezing ie trapezing off the kick bars or knees bent on the gunwale I could not hold my place except against the smaller sailed Lasers/Europes etc. 

But in race three the breeze got up to whatever so that I could stretch out on the wire (just) and I was amongst the Phantoms. The D Zeros/Aero were easily outpaced. I was very pleased by the boat's ability to point being able to hold the line of whatever came my way. Particularly pleased shortly after the start to burn off a Phantom who was squeezing me up and up. Having cracked off underneath him I was able to hold him to leeward and had the satisfaction of coming up ahead of him five minutes later forcing him to tack away!

Therefore in trapezing conditions the Farr will give a good account of itself against comparable stuff. Lots of power and/or pointing ability when the centrestrappers are having to hike like crazy and beginning to lose the will to live. 

On a run in the light stuff I was more or less able to hold the centrestrappers which surprised me, the Phantoms  being longer pulled away. I mentioned the swell which kept ones speed up above hull speed for longish periods and so this helped. We were doing outside loops and the reaches favoured the Farr particularly when we had one (and only one) when I could get out on the wire.

So make of that what you will. The boat will point like a demon if you want it too and performs more than favourably against other stuff once you can get out on the wire.

Paignton SC put on an excellent meeting. Well run, good grub on Saturday night, friendly, helpful, they deserved the meeting to have been a complete triumph but the wind gods let the club down, I feel sorry for them. The format is very good as having 80 odd boats all together gave one an opportunity to inspect other boats and meet the sailors. All nice guys (and one girl) of course and a very pleasant atmosphere in the dinghy park.

Much interest in the Farr in the dinghy park and people sailing up to me on the water asking what it was giving the thumbs up and saying what a good little boat it looked.

Next meeting Lymington Combined Clubs Regatta 30th/31 July, perhaps a visit from one or two of you with boats?

With kindest regards, Myles

The BM results give me as not competing - that's a fib: getting along quite nicely after a lap and a half but in an apocalyptic gust  wiped out at the gybe mark (as Peter Barton said when I pushed off "see you on the other side!"). The look of terror in the face of the Musto Skiff helm inside me put me off my stroke at the critical moment - gybed then overcorrected - in to windward - so tedious ( Musto man hit the water with a bang, there is a god up there).

Having upset the fish I set to getting the rig pointing upwards only to spot the rudder drifting away and left off to go and get it as I wanted it in posn when the boat came up. I was aware as I swam around courtesy of Thames Water that I was in the middle of a Merlin/Musto/RS graveyard and regret not being able to enjoy it, the ghouls on the shore did, should have passed the hat round. Transpired the drop nosed pin had lifted its nose which was a first for me. Mounting a Farr rudder upside down whilst treading water is quite difficult, fortunately I had plenty of sea room and depth so the rig got a fresh water rinse in the five minutes it took me to line up pintles and right the boat. 

By which time a lot of stuff had gone by. I had had fun up until then but the idea of overtaking reefed rotomoulds once more was a bit dull and so I retired. I was also keen to make my landing when the trolley dollies were underemployed as the leeshore at QM in a strong southerly is nasty and I absolutely did not want to scratch my Butler Boats finish.

Before the race I parked the boat where people could see it and several asked what was it and those that knew were impressed.

Now Saturday night back on the south island and it has all been a dream, can't wait for the next race.

With kindest regards, Myles

https://www.windfinder.com/windstatistics/auckland