Corsair Marine was originally setup by myself from 1984 to 1991, but it was decided to part from Corsair in December 2000, and Corsair is no longer a licensed or recommended builder for Farrier designed trimarans.
Corsair was allowed to purchase the F-24, F-28 and F-31 designs at the time of parting, along with rights to a new F-35 design that had been just started. However, Corsair’s right to use the Farrier name or F-boat trademarks had to be withdrawn soon after separation due to concers about unauthorized changes. Their products were then renamed as the Corsair 24, 28 and 31 (C24, C28, and C31) and all Farrier involvement ceased.
Farrier Marine provided Corsair with all its production guides in the past, while regularly monitoring construction, quality, and specification compliance, all of which took considerable time. This has now ended, so more time can be devoted to providing a larger range of both lower cost and more technically advanced designs such as the F-22, F-32, F-33, F-39, F-41 and F-44SC.
Farrier Marine will continue to operate with the same principles, quality standards, attention to detail, and customer backup service that helped make the F-27, F-24 Mk II, F-31, F-28 so successful, and which established Corsair Marine’s initial reputation.
It should also be noted that Corsair’s C36 should not be confused with the Farrier F-36 or F-39, which are completely different trimarans, and true ocean going cruisers. The Corsair 36 is based on the initial F-35 hull lines, but my involvement ended very early in the design process due to various differences, along with concerns about supervision and quality controls. Corsair renamed this design the Corsair 36, and after various problems they have now renamed it again as the C37. Farrier Marine has had no involvement in either structure or implementation of the C36/C37, and actual designer remains unknown.
I was asked to inspect a C36 in 2004, which had suffered a number of structural failures, and found the beams and folding system structure were not to Farrier standards, and I would not take such a boat offshore. Corsair was advised at that time of my concerns and it was recommended that they warn all owners of what to check and monitor, but it appears this may not have been done. A C36 suffered structural problems in late 2008 and had to be abandoned at sea, and another with serious beam bulkhead structural problems was also reported to me in 2012 (an independent report available on request). A C37 has now also been abandoned at sea in 2014, due it was claimed to float damage from a collsion, but no photographs of the damage have ever been made available.
If interested in purchasing a Corsair trimaran, then it is a case of buyer aware, and advisable to check the qualifications and experience of whoever is doing their design or redesign work, plus who is responsible for production supervision and quality. I would not buy one of their boats, but if doing so, and purchasing a C24, C28 or C31, then be very sure to insist that it is built to my original specifications, and check it over at delivery using the Farrier Marine New Boat Delivery Checklist before accepting delivery.
There are however no Farrier specifications for the C36 or C37, which was done solely by Corsair, and on its record so far this is a trimaran to avoid. Corsair will also not state if it has now implemented a defect notification system for existing boats, so if going on an extended voyage in any Corsair built boat then it would be wise to contact them first in order to find out if there is anything to be concerned about.
Ian Farrier