Design Brief & Intent
The primary mission of the Farr 39-foot One Tonner series was simple: win grand-prix level offshore races under the prevailing rating rules of the era, specifically the International Offshore Rule (IOR) and, later, the International Measurement System (IMS). Where contemporary designers relied on heavy displacement and deep, pinched sterns to artificially lower their handicap, Farr envisioned a boat that was intrinsically fast. The design brief emphasized lightweight, easily driven hull forms with wide, powerful transoms that maximized the effective crew weight on the rail and allowed the hull to plane downwind—a revolutionary concept for offshore keelboats of that size.
Competing directly against the likes of Doug Peterson’s custom designs and Laurie Davidson’s offshore racers, the Farr One Tonners stood out for their clean, undistorted hull lines. The interior layout was a testament to this single-minded focus on performance. Far from the warm, hand-rubbed teak-and-holly cabins of traditional cruiser-racers, these vessels featured stark, utilitarian interiors. Built with a minimalist approach to save every ounce of weight, they often featured exposed composite hulls, raw epoxy finishes, lightweight pipe berths, and a basic galley and navigation station centered around the companionway to concentrate mass amidships. The joinery was kept to a bare minimum, constructed from foam-cored or honeycombed lightweight panels, offering a highly functional but sparse environment strictly designed to support a racing crew during multi-day offshore ocean races.
Variations & Rig Configurations
The evolution of the Farr 39-foot One Tonner is characterized by successive design iterations, each pushing the boundaries of construction technology and rule optimization. The lineage began in earnest with Design 136 in 1983, which saw hulls like Pacific Sundance, Geronimo, and Exador built by Cookson Boatbuilders in New Zealand. These hulls were constructed using PVC foam cores vacuum-bagged with Kevlar and epoxy resins, representing some of the earliest high-tech composites used in semi-production series. They featured deep-draft fin keels and high-aspect spade rudders.
In late 1984, Farr released Design 138, exemplified by the sisterships Swuzzlebubble V and Epic Lass. These were optimized specifically for the lighter, more volatile conditions of European waters. They were fractionally shorter, lighter, carried a lower ballast ratio, and boasted a larger sail plan designed to maximize light-air performance while still rating precisely at the 30.5-foot One Ton limit.
By 1987, Design 182—represented by racers like Propaganda and Fair Share—took composite construction to its limit. Built by Cookson using a highly advanced laminate of Kevlar, Nomex honeycomb, and carbon fiber, these boats integrated titanium deck and mast fittings to shave weight aloft and in the ends. They were staggeringly stiff and fast, proving highly dominant on both upwind and reaching legs.
In the mid-1990s, as the racing world transitioned to the IMS rule, Farr introduced the Farr 39 ML (Design 336). Primarily built by Cookson in New Zealand and Mark Lindsay at Boston Boatworks in the United States, the 39 ML was a transitional masterpiece. It featured a vacuum-bagged E-glass, Kevlar, and PVC foam core hull, a deep lead bulb keel, a carbon fiber mast, and a modern fractional sloop rig with swept-back spreaders, bridging the gap between the complex distortions of the IOR era and the cleaner, more balanced hull forms of modern one-designs.
Sailing Performance & Handling
At the helm, the Farr 39-foot One Tonners offer an athletic, highly responsive experience more akin to a high-performance dinghy than a traditional offshore keelboat. Translating the physical parameters of the late-evolution Farr 39 ML provides a clear picture of its sailing characteristics: with an exceptionally high Sail Area to Displacement ratio of approximately 29, the boat is incredibly powerful. In light airs, it accelerates instantly with the slightest puff, sliding effortlessly through the water. However, this massive sail area requires a highly active crew to manage, requiring early reefing and constant depowering as the breeze builds past 12 knots.
The boat's light Displacement to Length ratio of approximately 113 highlights its ultralight displacement pedigree. The flat underwater profile and wide run aft allow the hull to easily break free of its bow wave, resulting in thrilling double-digit speeds downwind. Under spinnaker, these boats are legendary downwind sleds, though early IOR models required immense skill to avoid spectacular broaches in heavy air.
With a massive Ballast to Displacement ratio of 50 percent, the design places half of its total weight in its deep keel and lead bulb. This provides immense righting moment, keeping the boat remarkably stiff and capable of holding a high line of sail upwind. However, its low Comfort Ratio of roughly 15 indicates a quick, lively motion in a seaway. It does not smash through waves; rather, it accelerates over and through them, leading to a highly physical, wet, and rapid motion that can tire an unprepared crew. Additionally, the high-aspect fractional rig with running backstays on the earlier IOR models makes them notoriously complex. A lapse in communication during a jibe—specifically failing to quickly secure the new windward runner or ease the topmast backstay—can easily result in a catastrophic rig failure.
Known Issues & Triage
Given their age and high-performance heritage, Farr 39-foot One Tonners demand careful structural scrutiny. The primary vulnerability stems from their advanced cored composite construction. Over decades of hard racing and pounding through ocean chops, water intrusion into the PVC foam or Nomex honeycomb cores is a common and expensive issue. This is especially prevalent around highly loaded deck fittings, chainplates, track locations, and the bow pulpit. Owners must carry out thorough moisture testing and tap-testing to identify localized delamination, which requires routing out the wet core and vacuum-bagging new foam core panels in place.
Another critical area is the keel structure. The massive righting moment generated by the deep, heavy keels places immense stress on the internal grid and floors. Hard groundings or the repetitive fatigue of pounding in heavy seas can cause laminate fracturing, grid separation, or cracking around the keel bolts. Triage requires grinding back the fiberglass around the bilge floor to inspect the structural floors for hairline cracks, reinforcing the grid with additional carbon fiber or biaxial glass tapes, and replacing aging keel bolts.
Finally, the rigs on these vessels have often been pushed to their structural limits. Original aluminum spars and cobalt or rod rigging from the 1980s are long past their safe service life. Retiring old rod rigging and closely inspecting the spreaders, mast hounds, and tangs for fatigue cracks is non-negotiable.
Modernization & Upgrades
Veteran owners of these vessels have successfully modernized them to extend their racing careers or convert them into ultra-fast, stripped-out coastal pocket-rockets. A key upgrade is the conversion from complex running backstays to a simplified, swept-back spreader configuration. While this requires a new or heavily modified mast section, it eliminates the need for active running backstays, making the boat significantly easier and safer to sail with shorthanded crews.
Modern sail plans have also evolved. Replacing heavy, overlapping genoas with modern non-overlapping high-aspect jibs, paired with a fixed or retractable bowsprit for asymmetrical spinnakers, completely transforms the handling characteristics. This modern setup dramatically reduces the physical effort required for short-tacking and broadens the boat's safe downwind angles.
On the electrical side, because these boats lack the heavy interior joinery of traditional cruising boats, they are excellent candidates for lightweight lithium iron phosphate battery banks. Installing a compact LiFePO4 bank paired with a high-output alternator or lightweight solar array provides ample power for modern electronics and navigation packages without adding unnecessary weight to the boat's carefully calculated racing displacement.
The Verdict
The Farr 39-foot One Tonner is a legendary thoroughbred that represents the absolute pinnacle of mid-1980s and early-1990s grand-prix sailing. It is not a boat for the faint of heart, nor is it a casual weekend cruiser. It is a highly athletic, technically demanding, and structurally complex machine that rewards skilled seamanship with exhilarating speed and unmatched pointing ability. For the right owner—one who values raw sailing dynamics, understands composite structures, and enjoys active fleet or handicap racing—it offers an affordable entry into high-performance sailing that can easily outpace modern production designs costing many times more.
- Exhilarating downwind planing speed and exceptional light-air acceleration.
- High-tech composite construction offers an extremely stiff, lightweight, and responsive hull.
- Massive righting moment and stiffness upwind due to a high ballast ratio.
- Highly rewarding for skilled racers who appreciate technical, active sail-trimming.
- Active owner class and rich historical pedigree on the classic racing circuit.
Cons
- Stark, utilitarian interior completely lacks the warmth and amenities of a cruising yacht.
- Highly demanding rig configuration with running backstays requires a highly coordinated, active crew.
- High risk of cored deck or hull delamination if maintenance on deck hardware has been neglected.
- Demands active depowering and early reefing as wind speeds increase.
- Very high physical demands on the helm and crew in heavy seas due to a quick, rapid motion.
