The design combines Farr’s early ideas with the light-displacement approach that would define his later production work. A 40-percent ballast ratio, a length-to-beam ratio of 3.02, and a displacement-to-length figure of 164 place the 1104 firmly among “light racers.” This is a boat designed to move quickly under sail rather than keep its crew upright and comfortable.
Design and Construction
The solid-fiberglass hull carries a lead fin keel. The boat displaces 8,510 pounds, including 3,411 pounds of lead ballast. Depending on load, draft ranges from 6.07 to 6.37 feet. That depth restricts the boat to major marinas with sufficient water and keeps it out of shallow anchorages.
Wet-surface area is 387 square feet, while an immersion rate of 1,183 pounds per inch means the boat responds quickly to changes in crew weight and payload. It also calls for thoughtful loading. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 15.7 is low by cruising standards, in keeping with a hull shaped for responsiveness rather than stillness.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The Farr 1104 has a fractional rig. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 24.2 using the ISO reference sail and 27.8 with a 135-percent genoa, confirming a potent, easily driven sail plan.
Standing and running rigging follow period dimensions. All three halyards are 114 feet long and half an inch in diameter. The sheets are 36 feet long and 0.55 inch in diameter, while the mainsheet is a 90-foot, 0.55-inch line.
The capsize screening value of 2.33 is the one hard limit in the boat’s record: it places the Farr 1104 outside ocean-race acceptance. That is a meaningful boundary for buyers considering bluewater certification.
Theoretical hull speed is 7.2 knots. An example fitted with a Bukh DV20M calculates to a maximum of 6.1 knots under power.
Accommodation, Tankage, and Engines
The available builder-context material covers Farr Yacht Design’s later corporate history rather than this specific 1975-era hull, so it provides little detail about the Farr 1104’s accommodation.
The boat was offered with several engine alternatives, including an inboard Yanmar diesel. Tankage comprises 63 gallons of water and 29 gallons of diesel, capacities that frame the design’s coastal-cruising intent rather than long, self-sufficient voyaging.
Design Boundaries
The cautions identified here arise from the boat’s numbers rather than from recorded faults. Its deep fin keel makes grounding damage a real risk in unfamiliar harbors. The low capsize screening value also means the Farr 1104 was never qualified for offshore-racing rule compliance. Buyers should treat both points as design boundaries, not documented defects.
Refits and Ownership
Because multiple yards built the Farr 1104 and buyers could choose among several engines, individual boats vary widely in equipment and powertrain.
The fractional rig and genoa-driven sail plan lend themselves to modern sail-handling upgrades. Ownership also means respecting the boat’s light-displacement character. Keeping loads within the 1,183-pounds-per-inch immersion budget helps preserve the handling the design intended.
The Verdict
The Farr 1104 is a clear expression of Bruce Farr’s mid-1970s thinking: a light, beamy, easily driven 36-footer that rewards sailors who value speed and responsiveness more than motion comfort. It is a coastal and coastal-offshore cruiser-racer, not an ocean-race qualifier, and its draft requires careful marina planning. For the right owner, it offers a direct connection to Farr’s design DNA in a manageable size.
Pros
- Light-displacement “racer” character, with an SA/D of 27.8 using a 135-percent genoa
- Lead fin keel and solid-fiberglass hull, built by Glass Yachts Ltd. and other yards
- Inboard Yanmar diesel offered among several engine alternatives
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.33 excludes the boat from ocean-race acceptance
- Draft of 6.07–6.37 feet limits access to marinas and anchorages
- Motion Comfort Ratio of 15.7 favors performance over calm motion
