Farr 3.7

   Yes in a big wind the boat is 'twitchy'. I prefer the term responsive, although you can have a gantry to reduce this. Mine doesn't have one. A yes it can pitch pole with a combination of enough wind around and mistakes made by the helm. You might think this is a bad thing. I think it is a good thing. If you are a youth, girl or boy, with your eye on helming Skiffs, this boat teaches you what you need to know about trapeze helming a skiff. In a package that it predictable as the wind increases. With enough stability to make it possible. Dave Barker has never trapeze helmed before and his first two sails in the 3.7 were in wind strengths where regular dinghies are far from docile. 

For the older lightweight sailor how wants a manageable but still rivetingly exciting boat to sail the things you mention are in my view positives.

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Jack Sparrow Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jack Sparrow Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Farr 3.7 Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 1:40pm
	Yes in a big wind the boat is 'twitchy'. I prefer the term responsive, although you can have a gantry to reduce this. Mine doesn't have one. A yes it can pitch pole with a combination of enough wind around and mistakes made by the helm. You might think this is a bad thing. I think it is a good thing. If you are a youth, girl or boy, with your eye on helming Skiffs, this boat teaches you what you need to know about trapeze helming a skiff. In a package that it predictable as the wind increases. With enough stability to make it possible. Dave Barker has never trapeze helmed before and his first two sails in the 3.7 were in wind strengths where regular dinghies are far from docile. For the older lightweight sailor how wants a manageable but still rivetingly exciting boat to sail the things you mention are in my view positives.
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pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 1:45pm
	Fair answer

Rupert Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rupert Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 1:52pm
	Tying this into another thread - the Farr 3.7 is a cool boat. Bung a gantry on the back - may as well put a spoiler and full body kit on - very uncool. Doesn't mean it wouldn't sail better with it, though!
	Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Jack Sparrow Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jack Sparrow Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 2:12pm
	yeah... cooler without a gantry!
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pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 2:13pm
	it's being pigeonholed as a 'performance boat' for lightweights, with the age old 'responsive' charateristics that is equally interchangeable with 'difficult to use', 'too short' and 'twitchy' depending on your point of view. Yet it's rated around the same speed as Laser upwind. I dunno... not sounding very 'cool' right now, I guess thankfully 'being a cool boat' is really utterly irrelevant to being a successful addition to the sailing landscape.

Jack Sparrow Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jack Sparrow Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 2:27pm
	Actually it's very easy to sail. The rudder resposiveness builds with the wind speed. The email I posted unaltered from Dave's weekend sail were in very high wind strengths. I've had a lot of people in the 3.7 over the last year and all have enjoyed there sails enormously. Most of these people have never trapeze helmed before. They don't complain of twichyness, or the boat being too short. They have difficulty with knowing where to put / hold the tiller extension when on the trapeze. The other thing they have had problems with is getting caught in irons when they make a bad tack. Both of which are techique and time in the boat related.
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pondmonkey Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Aug 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2202	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondmonkey Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 2:48pm
	Yep the guys from the Laser fleet said it was a little windier than the day before at their open. It can't have been too bad though, otherwise they'd have shut the lake... yes, it's happened this year Glad folks are enjoying it, though the acid test will out... how many are taking the bait and registered a confirmed interest now? It's been what, a year? I'd say if you've got 10 folks building/waiting on Butler then that's doing bloody well all things considered.

Hughph Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 13 Oct 10 Online Status: Offline Posts: 324	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hughph Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 7:44pm
	I definitely wouldn't say it goes upwind at laser speeds- it is much quicker than that in any sort of breeze...

Neptune Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jun 09 Location: Berkshire United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1314	Post Options Post Reply Quote Neptune Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 7:48pm
	Do you reckon a gantry and a foiled rudder a la N12 would make much difference? Have the Kiwi's already tried that Jack?
	Musto Skiff and Solo sailor

Jack Sparrow Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jack Sparrow Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Oct 12 at 8:14pm
	Gantries are fairly common place in NZ I believe. But to my knowledge no one has used a T Foil rudder. It would dampen down the ride significantly I would think. But it is debatable as to whether you would gain the extra upwind speed that other classes have gotten for there use, due to the hull shape not being optimised for them. It might be worth a try though? It would help in big breeze for less capable helms. I'll include myself in that statement as I haven't really sailed it much in the last 18 months and before I that my last serious sailing was back in 2005, due to teaching my son / others to sail. Edit: I just thought I'd clarify. I don't think the boat needs a T Foil. Edited by Jack Sparrow - 03 Oct 12 at 8:17pm
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