Design and Construction
Viewed from the dock, the 395 presents a purposeful but well-proportioned look, with profile angles in concert and a well-styled cabin house that earned good marks from all judges for aesthetics anchor. The plumb bow and short overhang aft define the new-millennium silhouette, and those lines are not mere styling: they create a faster, higher-volume hull for the given length overall. At 39.3 feet LOA with a 12.1-foot beam and 7.8-foot draft, the boat carries 12,250 pounds of displacement, and the wedge of lead ballast low in a bulb keel gives it the kind of stability a performance sailor feels immediately. The side decks are wide, making it easy to move around the boat, and the cockpit carries a removable locker/seat comprising the after portion of the seats—an innovation that, when pulled, leaves a stainless-steel footrest for the mainsail trimmer and grants real flexibility in layout anchor.
Rig and Handling
The rig shows the hand of someone who goes racing. A German Admiral's Cup-style mainsheet carries the sheet forward along each side of the boom to the gooseneck and down to the deck near the chainplates, then back to a winch by the traveler, putting mainsheet and traveler control at one station anchor. The sheet runs above the deck for lower friction than an under-deck route, and a crewmember at the mast can overhaul it during windy jibes to help the trimmer. The main outhaul, from a 12:1 purchase inside the boom to a swivel cam cleat by the companionway, allows fingertip adjustment from several spots. A large wheel diameter makes steering pleasant, and well-located foot braces let the helmsman lock in place—whether sitting on the weather rail watching jib telltales or steering to leeward in light airs. The backstay has a quick release from its cylinder so it can be run forward downwind in light conditions, though when the cylinder is fully extended a standing helmsman must duck beneath it anchor.
Performance
This is a boat that will tingle the toes of performance sailors. She came to life in about nine knots of breeze, controllable and quick to accelerate through simulated pre-start maneuvers, and on reaches fellow judge Chuck Allen found her easy to steer without losing the rudder anchor. With obvious breakaway potential and a willingness to leap on any wave, she posted a PHRF handicap of 30-36 and passed powering tests—ease of steering at speed, maneuverability, and reverse tracking—with flying colors. Care in steering is the price paid for the high-aspect-ratio foils, as the rudder can stall through a tight turn, but the trade is a racer one could really cruise anchor.
Accommodations
The interior finish is good, and the simple layout reads as very comfortable both dockside and at sea. The head has two entrances, so it can be reached from the aft cabin without disturbing the forward cabin, and the forward vee berth is genuinely long enough to sleep in. Buyers could option an enclosed quarter berth to port forming an aft stateroom, but the open arrangement was preferred by the tester and most buyers alike. In the cockpit, the seatback angles are a little vertical for lounging yet as good or better than most tested boats, and the helm seat area accommodates many sitting styles anchor.
Known Issues
Two cockpit ergonomics points surfaced in testing. Standing at the wheel with the backstay cylinder fully extended requires ducking under the backstay, and a net at the front of the wheel well would be needed to keep lines from catching in the steering wheel anchor. The rudder's high-aspect foil can stall in a tight turn, demanding steering care rather than indicating a defect.
The Verdict
The Farr 395 distills a grand-prix one-design lineage into a yacht that races with genuine pace yet keeps civilizing touches below and in the cockpit. The collaboration behind her is proven, and the detailing—from the convertible cockpit seat to the mainsheet system—shows a racing brain that respected cruising comfort.
Pros
- Dual-purpose speed with a PHRF of 30-36 and lively acceleration
- Well-proportioned plumb-bow hull with wide side decks and flexible cockpit
- German Admiral's Cup mainsheet and fingertip outhaul control
- Simple, comfortable interior with a two-entry head and usable vee berth
Cons
- Backstay cylinder forces ducking when fully extended at the wheel
- Rudder can stall in tight turns under the high-aspect foil
- Cockpit needs a wheel-well net to guard the steering from lines
