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The Farr 3.7 is a one-person
The 3.7 Class is sailed in two versions; the ''3.7 Class'' and ''3.7 Class Turbo'' version. The standard 3.7 Class is used for class racing. A turbo version provides option to additionally fit a prod and gennaker.
The 3.7 Class use a fully battened mainsail of approximately 8.8m^2 on a carbon mast. The sail plan is closely controlled by the class rules and the hull form is very closely controlled by the rules and measured on a jig. The mast, rigging, centreboard and rudder are only loosely controlled. Most hulls are made from plywood, but a number of sandwich composite hulls exist. To date no composite hull has ever won the ''New Zealand National Championship'' and plywood boats over 30 years old are routinely winning against brand new boats.
The 3.7 Class is usually raced with crews of 50 kg up to 90 kg. The most competitive sailors seem to be in the 60 kg to 80 kg region. Sailors range in age from 16 up to 67 years (and counting) with male and female categories as well as veteran, grand veteran and great grand veteran ages categories. The yachts carry corrector weights to bring them to 50 kg and they are a skiff design that aquaplanes both upwind and downwind except in very light conditions. The sailor trapezes from the side of the yacht while steering and trimming with each hand. The yachts are relatively small and can pitch pole end over end at high speed and are difficult to control in over 20 knots of wind. Youngsters training to sail larger skiffs often use the class as a training ground for several seasons while they are growing heavier, but most sailors are lighter weight individuals.
3.7 Owners Association
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs Dinghies Sailboat type designs by Bruce Farr
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed by a larger vessel for use as a tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they differ from sailing dinghies, which ...
(Single Handed Dinghy) designed by Bruce Farr in 1971. The design plans are sold by the ''3.7 Class Owners Association'' and they are built by a mix of professionals and home built by amateurs. The 3.7 Class is recognised by Yachting New Zealand
Yachting New Zealand is recognised by the International Sailing Federation as the governing body for the sport of sailing in New Zealand. Yachting New Zealand also facilitates training in sailing in and around the country.
History
The emigration ...
as a national class and yachts are sailed in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. Full sets of plans have been sold worldwide to a number of individuals with greatest numbers in Germany, Japan, USA, South Korea, Poland, France, Belgium, Russia, Spain, Uruguay.
Design
The 3.7 Class is sailed in two versions; the ''3.7 Class'' and ''3.7 Class Turbo'' version. The standard 3.7 Class is used for class racing. A turbo version provides option to additionally fit a prod and gennaker.
The 3.7 Class use a fully battened mainsail of approximately 8.8m^2 on a carbon mast. The sail plan is closely controlled by the class rules and the hull form is very closely controlled by the rules and measured on a jig. The mast, rigging, centreboard and rudder are only loosely controlled. Most hulls are made from plywood, but a number of sandwich composite hulls exist. To date no composite hull has ever won the ''New Zealand National Championship'' and plywood boats over 30 years old are routinely winning against brand new boats.
The 3.7 Class is usually raced with crews of 50 kg up to 90 kg. The most competitive sailors seem to be in the 60 kg to 80 kg region. Sailors range in age from 16 up to 67 years (and counting) with male and female categories as well as veteran, grand veteran and great grand veteran ages categories. The yachts carry corrector weights to bring them to 50 kg and they are a skiff design that aquaplanes both upwind and downwind except in very light conditions. The sailor trapezes from the side of the yacht while steering and trimming with each hand. The yachts are relatively small and can pitch pole end over end at high speed and are difficult to control in over 20 knots of wind. Youngsters training to sail larger skiffs often use the class as a training ground for several seasons while they are growing heavier, but most sailors are lighter weight individuals.
Performance
The class has a register of boats in New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain. New Zealand has national champions recognised byYachting New Zealand
Yachting New Zealand is recognised by the International Sailing Federation as the governing body for the sport of sailing in New Zealand. Yachting New Zealand also facilitates training in sailing in and around the country.
History
The emigration ...
(formerly NZYF) dating back to 1974.
These yachts will plane upwind and downwind in a breeze of 12 knots or more. In 8 knots they will plane easily on reaches but are sailed in a displacement mode upwind and downwind. In strong winds of 25 knots or more they are difficult to sail and extremely exciting, with numerous capsizes suiting summer venues with warm water. The yachts sail best upwind if they are allowed to point a little lower than the theoretical maximum and this gives much better boat speed so that the VMG (Velocity made good Velocity made good, or VMG, is a term used in sailing, especially in yacht racing, indicating the speed of a sailboat towards (or from) the direction of the wind. The concept is useful because a sailboat cannot sail directly upwind, and thus often ...
) is maximized.
See also
* Dinghy sailing * Dinghy racingReferences
External links
3.7 Owners Association
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs Dinghies Sailboat type designs by Bruce Farr