Sailing World called it a “modern, fast, fun, and simple design” aimed at casual buoy racing and sailing-school training. In the builder’s framing, it’s a sportboat-sized keelboat rather than a dinghy.
Design and Construction
The 18R measures 5.80 meters overall, with a 5.15-meter waterline, 2.20-meter beam, and 1.20-meter draft. It displaces 650 kilograms. Its 280-kilogram lifting keel greatly improves stability and safety, according to the builder.
The boat is trailerable, and its removable rigging system makes it quick to rig. Those qualities suit a club racer or trainer that lives on its trailer between events.
By contrast, the regular FarEast 18 uses vacuum infusion for its hull, deck, rudder blade, and keel fin, with a PVC-foam core and lead ballast bulb. The 18R shares the same designer and builder, as well as Harken and Seldén hardware, but replaces the enclosed cabin with an open deck optimized for racing.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The 18R has a fractional sloop rig with mainsail, jib, and gennaker. It uses Seldén rigging and Harken deck gear, carries an 8-meter mast, and has a stated crew of four. The removable rigging system makes setup quick and easy, while the open deck provides a clean working platform for short-handed buoy racing.
Performance figures for the parent FarEast 18 indicate the envelope these dimensions and sail plan serve. In four knots of breeze, it made 3.8 knots upwind while tacking through roughly 90 degrees. On a reach in more than 15 knots of true wind, it was expected to exceed hull speed and plane at 10 to 12 knots. The 18R’s lighter displacement and racing deck suggest a similar or sharper profile in a breeze.
Accommodation and Deck Layout
There’s effectively no accommodation aboard the 18R. The builder specifies an open deck, and the boat is designed around racing rather than cruising.
The regular FarEast 18 shows what the platform offers with an enclosed cabin: four feet of headroom beneath the companionway, three feet of sitting headroom in the forepeak, and a 92-by-55-inch berth. Those comforts are absent by design in the R model. In return, the 18R offers a clearer deck and quicker launching.
Known Issues
The related design’s test program found that the mainsheet diameter on the test boat was too small. This concern wasn’t specific to the 18R.
The cruiser version also lacks a foredeck hatch or secondary opening for interior ventilation. The 18R’s open-deck racing layout eliminates that sealed-cabin venting concern.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership revolves around the trailerable package. An optional outboard provides auxiliary power, while the lifting keel and removable rigging make storage and transport straightforward. The Harken and Seldén components are standard marine replacements.
Simplicity is the boat’s main maintenance virtue: there are few enclosed spaces, no cabin to leak, and the deck is arranged for frequent rigging and derigging.
The Verdict
The FarEast 18R is a purpose-built small keelboat racer. It borrows the FarEast 18’s stable hull and lifting-keel logic but commits fully to the racecourse. It’s light, quick to set up, and easy to transport by road, with a ballast keel that the builder credits with real gains in stability.
For a sailing school or buoy-racing owner, it’s a tidy, uncluttered tool. Anyone who wants a cabin or cruising comfort should instead consider the regular FarEast 18.
Pros
- Lifting 280 kg keel improves stability and safety
- Open, racing-optimized deck with Harken and Seldén gear
- Trailerable and quick to rig using the removable rigging system
- Simple sportboat design aimed at training and buoy racing
Cons
- No cabin or sheltered accommodation
- Mainsheet diameter concern noted on a related test boat, though not specific to the 18R
