Design and Construction
At 19.8m overall with a 16.9m waterline, the hull carries 27,500kg of displacement on a 5.2m beam and draws 3.2m through a bulb keel. The displacement-to-length ratio of 166 and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 21.4 place her firmly in the high-performance end of the spectrum, and her theoretical hull speed is 9.9 knots. Colvic Yachts built the composite hulls in 1999 and reinforced them with Kevlar for added strength, while the water and fuel tanks were made of durable nylon material. The Farr 65 is a high-performance Farr-designed round-the-world racing yacht built for speed and safety in all weather conditions.
Rig and Handling
The boat is masthead-rigged on a Formula Spars aluminium mast that is keel-stepped, with a Tuff Luff headfoil and a hydraulic vang and backstay. Sail handling runs through a manual coffee-grinder system: Lewmar 88 primaries sit on the central grinding pedestal, with Lewmar 66s under the dodger for halyards and reefing lines, plus 64s on the cabin top and 44s elsewhere. The cockpit is huge and filled with winches — 13 in total — and the mainsheet attaches at the back of the boom, with a Lewmar traveller spanning nearly the entire beam just forward of the twin helms for mainsail trim. Farr designed her for racing especially with an amateur crew, striking a good balance between ease of sail handling and safety. Bruce Farr described her as faster on all points of sail than her peers, and an owner report recorded 19.9 knots maximum speed through water on a passage from the UK to Ireland.
Accommodations
Below, the layout is unapologetically race-oriented. Eight more-or-less equal sea bunks divide between the forward and aft sections, and a dedicated sail locker occupies the forepeak — a feature the extra six feet of length over the sister boat Icebear allowed. The forward compartment sail storage is separated by a watertight bulkhead. A centrally located galley houses a propane stove with two externally stored 10.4kg fiberglass cylinders, a 24V fridge of 130L and an 80L freezer, and on the cruised example a GN-Espace oven large enough for full-size gastronorm trays with countertops set 2in higher than standard. Two head/shower units serve the crew, and two Eberspächer forced-air heaters pipe warm air into the wet lockers. A transom-area "bathtub" delivers pressure hot water for an offshore shower.
Known Issues
The race the design was built for folded after one edition, leaving most of the series without the career they were drawn for — one hull was left to live out her days on the hard before restoration. As a stripped-out racing design, the accommodation and systems were minimal as built; the cruising conversions on individual boats (Lithionics 24V lithium bank near 1,000Ah, Watt & Sea 600 hydrogenerator, twin 450A engine alternators, Spectra Cape Horn watermaker, Furuno 1835 radar) represent later owner investment rather than original specification. The nylon tank construction and Kevlar-reinforced composite shell are period racing choices, not cruising-grade redundancy.
Refits and Ownership
A 2022 refit invested over 70K in new North Racing sails — mainsail, J2 and J3 headsails — while a separate restoration added a new dodger, Perry-designed navstation, and the lithium and hydrogenerator suite named above. Owners who took on the work deliberately kept propane cooking and added forced-air heat and a manually operated watermaker, signaling a self-sufficient offshore intent rather than dockside dependence.
The Verdict
The Colvic Millennium 65 is a genuine Bruce Farr round-the-world weapon with the bones for a formidable expedition cruiser, but only for an owner who accepts a racing genesis and the conversion cost that follows.
Pros
- High sail-area-to-displacement performance with documented 19.9-knot capability
- Kevlar-reinforced composite hull with watertight forepeak bulkhead
- Amateur-crew-friendly sail handling balance from the designer's brief
Cons
- Only five built; race folded after one edition, limiting fleet support
- Stripped racing specification as built; major systems are owner-added
- 10ft 2in draft and racy ergonomics unsuited to casual coastal use
