Farr 40
Carroll Marine · Bruce Farr · 1997
Updated
- ORC World Championship · Class A2011 · 2012
Each title was won by a boat of this design, not by the design itself.
The Farr 40 is a 12.41 m semi-displacement racing yacht designed by Bruce Farr and built by Carroll Marine, first launched in 1997. It races in Class A. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 91% of the designs it races against.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 91% of the boats it races against.
5th of 46 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 419 starts across 60 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
12.41 m
40′ 9″
Beam
3.96 m
Draft
2.60 m
Displacement
5.0 t
Sail area
105 m²
On the podium
Where a Farr 40 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
28%
of 419 starts by 33 boats
Wins
8%
Read from 419 starts by 33 boats between 2012 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Farr 40 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
66. Yil Donanma Kupasi2026- 25. Bosphorus Cup2026
"Πανελληνιο Κυπελο ORCI 2026"2026- Andros Race 2026 - Eurobank Private Bank Cup2026
- Rodos Cup2026
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
26%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
21%
of these races end on the podium
Sharper round the buoys. Short courses reward acceleration and manoeuvring, and that is where this design makes its money.
Who she races against
The designs a Farr 40 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the Farr 40 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
6.01
37°
Beam reach
9.96
90°
Broad reach
12.57
135°
Downwind VMG
10.15
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
The stronger it blows, the better this design looks. On a windy coastal course it is in its element; on a light-air windward-leeward it has to be sailed well to hold on.
Where it gains
Its best ground is running deep in a strong breeze, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage off the wind as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
There is no condition where it falls away badly, which is worth something over a season of mixed weather.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 1.2 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the downwind.
How fast is a Farr 40
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 4.33 | 5.54 | 5.86 | 6.01 |
| 52° | 6.53 | 7.83 | 8.13 | 8.35 |
| 60° | 6.86 | 8.06 | 8.40 | 8.68 |
| 75° | 7.09 | 8.31 | 8.82 | 9.27 |
| 90° | 7.00 | 8.36 | 9.20 | 9.96 |
| 110° | 6.85 | 8.54 | 9.45 | 10.74 |
| 120° | 6.68 | 8.57 | 9.73 | 11.39 |
| 135° | 6.04 | 8.20 | 9.73 | 12.57 |
| 150° | 5.06 | 7.44 | 8.86 | 11.71 |
| Run VMG | 4.38 | 6.44 | 7.78 | 10.15 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 760 kg.
Rigging
Farr 40 rig and sail dimensions
A Farr 40 carries 16.70 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.90 m boom, a forestay 16.18 m above the deck and a 6.49 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 65 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 114 to 189 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.