From the outset, the Farr 40 was conceived as a one-design racer that a Group 1, or nonprofessional, skipper could campaign. Class rules limited the number of paid professionals in the crew, and that amateur-friendly mandate influenced everything from the rig to the deck layout.
Design and Construction
Bruce Farr’s one-design combines a virtually plumb bow and reverse transom with a wedge-shaped deckhouse drawn in straight lines and right angles. Its wide, flat deck sits above a high-stability deep keel.
The hull is a solid laminate of E-glass fibers, epoxy, foam composites, and wet prepreg fabrics. The entire hull and deck are post-cured in an oven to lock in stiffness. The keel consists of a steel fin carrying an epoxy-coated lead bulb, with a loaded draft of 8 feet 6 inches. A carbon-fiber rudder stock supports a blade made from epoxy, carbon fiber, and E-glass.
Displacement is near 10,900 pounds, with around 5,100 pounds of ballast. A ballast-to-displacement ratio of about 47 percent and a D/L of 110 mark the Farr 40 as a light, stiff racer rather than a cruiser.
Rig and Sail Handling
The Farr 40 does without running backstays and overlapping headsails, and was designed to avoid expensive crews. Its fractional rig uses discontinuous rod rigging and a Sparcraft carbon-fiber mast, paired with an aluminum boom. Double swept-back spreaders are angled 20 degrees at the chainplates. Because the chainplates sit almost on the rail, the nonoverlapping jibs can sheet inside the shrouds.
The loose-footed mainsail has a full-length top batten, while the jibs carry short leech battens. All sail controls are amidships. The European-style mainsheet runs aft and below deck to a traveler with internal tackle, and a hydraulic mast jack is standard.
Standard Harken winches include 48.3 three-speed primaries and 44.2 STAs for the mainsheet and halyards. The boat also comes with Harken spinnaker gear, a carbon pole, and a Tuff Luff headstay. Masthead spinnakers remain optional, as does a huge scooped wheel mounted well aft.
Accommodations and Machinery
This is a racing boat with a rudimentary interior. A tiny galley on the port bulkhead contains a two-burner stove and small sink, with an icebox opposite. Two water tanks hold 21 gallons each.
Long crew berths run along the port and starboard sides, with useful storage bins. The navigation station is tucked beneath the cockpit sole and doesn’t offer even sitting headroom.
A 27-horsepower Yanmar diesel sits just forward of the navigation station. It’s centered in the boat and turned 180 degrees aft onto a saildrive, placing the propeller immediately behind the keel. Fuel capacity is 20 gallons.
Known Issues
Test sailors powering up an early boat reported some vibration with the lower unit seeming a little out of alignment.
Class Ownership and Options
Ownership centers on a one-design class in which the amateur-skipper rule and limits on professional crew keep campaigns accessible. Standard equipment—including the carbon mast, Harken package, and hydraulic mast jack—defines the specification. The optional wheel and masthead spinnaker, along with the below-deck mainsheet, reflect common owner choices rather than wholesale redesign.
The Verdict
The Farr 40 OD is a purpose-built one-design that brings grand-prix engineering to a Corinthian skipper. Its post-cured epoxy, E-glass, and foam construction, bulb keel, and carbon rig make it a stiff, light racer. The minimal interior leaves no doubt about its pure-competition brief.
Pros
- Amateur-skippered one-design with limits on professional crew
- Post-cured E-glass, epoxy, and foam hull and deck for stiffness
- Fractional carbon rig without runners or overlapping headsails
- Centered, aft-facing diesel with saildrive and clean propeller placement
Cons
- Rudimentary interior, with no sitting headroom at the navigation station
- Drivetrain vibration reported on a tested early boat
- 8-foot-6-inch draft limits access to some cruising grounds
