History of Farrier Trimarans
(1970-2017)
1970: Designer Ian Farrier sails his 30′ trimaran single-handed up the coast of New Zealand encountering several mid-winter’ roaring forties’ storms. These were valuable experience in the multihulls behavior in bad weather offshore.
1970: Sails from New Zealand to Tonga on a 38′ monohull. Storm and general sailing experience on this trip convinces designer (initially a monohull sailor) that properly designed and engineered multihulls are the craft of the future.
1973: Invents new trimaran folding system and applies for patent
1974: The original Trailertri Prototype built and launched by designer in Australia.
1975: Farrier Folding System™ patent granted
1976: The first Trailertri 18 built by designer
1977: The first Trailertri 680 built by designer
1980: The first production fiberglass Farrier trimaran (the TRAMP) developed and launched. Judged Australian Boat of the Year in 1981.
1983: Trailertri 720 introduced
March, 1984: Ian Farrier moves to the U.S. to set-up Corsair Marine, while vice president, to develop and build his F-27 trimaran design.
May, 1985: The prototype production F-27 SUPER FOX launched.
July, 1985: Ian Farrier sails SUPER FOX to a new race record in her first official event – The Two Man Around Catalina Race. The F-27 trimaran took line honors by 4 hours, and won on handicap, from a fleet of mostly bigger boats, including a maxi (65′) ULDB monohull. Starting last, the F-27 overhauled the entire monohull fleet on the first 30 mile windward leg in very choppy 20 to 25 knot conditions.
July, 1986: SUPER FOX demonstrates the F-27’s great versatility by again winning the Two Man Around Catalina Race, but this time in very light conditions. It gave such boats as a McGregor 65, S & S 51, Frers 46, and C & C 42, 15 minutes start, yet still caught and passed them all. The F-27 was the only boat fast enough to finish within the time limit.
June, 1987: The first ocean crossing by an F-27. Mark Robson’s KILLER FROG sails in the Trans Pac Race from Long Beach to Hawaii. Averages just on 8 knots for a quick 12 day passage, including one 250 mile day. It should be noted that while it is nice to know that the F-27 is capable of such long ocean crossings in experienced hands, it still remains a small trailerable yacht and is not recommended or intended for this purpose.
July, 1988: The second ocean crossing, this time across the Atlantic. Adrian Went’s F-27 OLIJFE makes an impressive passage of 23 days from Cape Cod to Bishop Rock, England and then on up through the English Channel to Holland.
April 1989: The F-27 CORSAIR wins the multihull division of the Newport – Ensenada Race, the first time a production trimaran has done this.
May 1990: The F-27 recognized by the Nippon Ocean Racing Club as an official class – the first trimaran to be so recognized.
July, 1990: Two more F-27s cross the Pacific to Hawaii, one singlehanded, one doublehanded.
April, 1990: The F-27 AQUATEC easily wins the Australian Multihull Offshore Championships, a series of 7 races. AQUATEC is the first trailerable multihull to do this.
August 1990: F-27s are the first multihulls invited to compete in the Audi National Offshore One Design Regatta, (N.O.O.D) organized by SAILING WORLD and held at Newport, Rhode Island.
March, 1991: Having established Corsair Marine, its productions systems, and reputation, with 100 F-27s being produced every year, but with growing concerns about company directions, Ian Farrier resigns from Corsair Marine. New management takes over at Corsair, and is licensed to build F-24.
June, 1991: Dr. Werner Stolz and Roswitha Schadt’s F-27 becomes the second F-27 to cross the Atlantic.
September, 1991: With Corsair Marine’s owner John Walton and new management trying to redesign F-24 and also design their own larger trimaran, Ian Farrier disassociates to concentrate on his latest design, the F-9A, which is launched in Australia. This is then developed into the production F-31 via the licensed Australian builder OSTAC. Report on First F-9/F-31 Launching
January, 1992: First F-31 (production version of the F-9A) launched in Australia.
April, 1992: Fred Gan’s F-31 OSTAC TRIUMPH wins the bi-annual Australian Offshore Multihull Championships. In the associated Brisbane to Gladstone Ocean Race, BOBSLED, a 67 foot million dollar racing monohull, made headlines in breaking the monohull record by an impressive hour and a half. The trailerable F-31 (a family cruiser) had caught and passed BOBSLED finishing an hour and fifteen minutes ahead!
See also Comparison
July, 1992: F-31 judged Australian Sailboat of the Year.
November, 1992: With Corsair’s own designs not working out well, and the F-31 being so successful Down Under, Corsair is forced to start importing them by customer demand. Corsair still has the US exclusive rights to Farrier designs and begins to implement F-31 production in the US via another Walton company, under license to Ian Farrier, but still can’t resist redesigning, in spite of assurances to the contrary. Farrier support is withdrawn once more, and requests that his name and trademarks be removed from Corsair’s version of the F-31. This becomes the TPI 31 but is another failure and only 8 were built. Fortunately for Corsair, it has unlimited financing and is able to absorb such losses.
January, 1993: First F-25A launched
February, 1993: Two F-27s blitz the fleet in the 1993 Miami – Key Largo race, averaging an incredible 18.2 and 17.9 knots for the 43 mile course.
April, 1994: With large losses, mounting problems, and no new designs that work, Corsair is finally sold to new owner Paul Koch for a nominal $1, plus a large loan and ongoing financial backing. Ian Farrier decides to resume support, provided the F-31 and F-24 are restored back to Farrier specifications, and they then both become very successful.
January, 1995: SAIL magazine gives the F-27 an honorable mention, along with such boats as the Laser and the 12m Australia II, as “having had a significant and positive impact on sailing over the past 25 years”.
February, 1995: First F-25C launched – a high performance epoxy/carbon kit boat
May, 1995: Denis Poupart’s F-9A makes a double Atlantic crossing. It should again be noted that the F-9A or any other trailerable design is not recommended or intended for this purpose. The only true ocean going Farrier designs are the F-36 and F-41.
January, 1996: Mike Henning’s new F-36 JAM TODAY takes line honors in the cruising multihull division of the Capetown to Rio Race (across South Atlantic), leading home seven catamarans, including two 40 footers and one 47 footer.
February, 1996: F-24 Mk.II wins distinction as Sailing World’s “Boat of the Year” in the performance multihull category.
July, 1996: Wayne Gorrie’s F-9A & Gary Helm’s F-31 cross the Pacific from Canada and U.S. to Hawaii.
July, 1996: Adrian Went crosses the Atlantic again to Holland, this time in an F-31
October, 1996: F-31R introduced. This featured a taller rotating carbon fiber wing mast and a larger very efficient sailplan developed in conjunction with sailmaker and Tornado Olympic medalist Randy Smyth.
February, 1997: First F-28 launched
March, 1997: Farrier Marine web site started
December, 1995 to 1997: Yann Vincent’s F-31 SALE GOSSE sails from France, across the Atlantic, through Panama canal, and on to Tahiti. Wins Multihull division of the 1996 Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten on the way. In the last race of this series SALE GOSSE overhauled a 70′ maxi that had started 20 minutes earlier.
February, 1998: F-28 judged as Sailing World’s 1998 ‘Performance Multihull Sailboat of the Year’, an award sponsored by GMC/Yukon
March, 1998: Dean Snow’s F-82R ‘Redshift’ takes line honors in the 1998 Marlay Point Race with Farrier designs also taking the next four places over the line. The Marlay Point is Australia’s biggest race for trailer yachts, and now a classic event.
April, 1998: Newport – Ensenada – Mike Leneman’s F-31 ‘Delta Vee’ finishes only 4 hours behind the first to finish ‘Stars and Stripes’ (Steve Fossett’s America’s Cup 60′ racing cat). Third, and an hour behind ‘Delta Vee’, was the first mono, Roy Disney’s 70’ Turbo sled ‘Pyewacket’. This was the fastest race on record, with 22 multihulls, and over 400 boats. ‘Delta Vee’ has many innovative features and Mike introduced the first rotating alumimum oversize mast section to the F-31, with his custom F-31L version, and demonstrated how effective it could be. It later became the basis for the F-31RS with its custom extruded aluminum wing mast section which was developed by Mike.
May, 1998: Corsair/Farrier Pensacola Regatta – the largest gathering ever of Farrier trimarans with 52 boats and their crews participating in three days of fabulous racing in the balmy, breezy, laid-back ambiance of Pensacola Beach, Florida.
June, 1998: Mars Twin Peaks, U.K.- Paul Keene’s F-31R ‘Pwllheli Partnership’ first home in a new record time, followed by two F-27s.
September, 1998: The F-25A “Tri-sera-tops” sailed from Brisbane to New Caledonia by Rob Lockett for new owner Yves Pellagaud. The 800 mile ocean passage took five days, with a 15 knot westerly tail wind followed by light winds and squalls the first two days, and then a beat into 30 to 35 knot winds and large seas for the final three days.
Farrier trailerable trimaran designs have now made numerous ocean crossings, including six Atlantic, and seven Pacific crossings. However, it should be noted that while such ocean crossing feats are an excellent demonstration of strength and seaworthiness, such voyages are not a recommended use. Trailerable designs are too small for ocean crossing and the only true ocean going Farrier designs are the F-36 and the new F-41 catamaran.
January, 1999: Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Yacht Race – Steve Marsh’s F-31R easily leads home over thirty racing yachts. The multihull fleet started 25 minutes behind the monos, but Steve’s F-31R soon passed every other boat in the fleet. Attempts by the big monos to head up and block the F-31R from overtaking proved futile, as the F-31R blasted through steep seas going to weather at speeds up to 11 knots, to eventually finish 51 minutes ahead of the second boat home – an 80’ IMS maxi monohull racer.
January, 1999: Martin Kilpatrick’s F-24 Mark II wins the Southern Ocean Multihull Regatta (SOMR) on Western Port Bay in Victoria, Australia
April, 1999: Fifty four boats take part in the 1999 Corsair/Farrier Nationals at Pensacola, Florida.
May, 1999: Ian Loffhagen’s F-27 wins the Scottish Islands Peaks race
May 1999: Kim Alfred’s F-31 CHEEKEE MONKEE is fastest multihull and first boat home in the 1999 Swiftsure Classic, Victoria, Canada. Kim made all the right tactical choices to lead home the Formula 40 racing trimaran ‘Running With Scissors’
April, 2000: Robert Remilton’s F-9R WILPARINA II takes the overall line honors trophy in the 2000 Australian Multihull Offshore Championships (AMOC), being fastest in 3 of the 5 races, even though one of the smallest competitors, and fitted with a shorter mast. Other boats taking part included the two new 50′ extreme racing catamarans RAW NERVE and ROGNTUDUU.
April, 2000: Arecord 64 boats take part in the 2000 Corsair/Farrier Nationals at the new location of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
More details and photos at Corsair/Farrier Nationals
September, 2000 UK Corsair-Farrier Nationals – twelve boats take part in an exciting series off Isle of Wight.
October 28, 2000: Mike Horn completes his LATITUDE 0° quest to circumnavigate the world at the Equator. His epic voyage started with crossing the Atlantic single-handed in his F-28 trimaran. The voyage from Libreville (Gabon), to the banks of the Amazon at Macapa, Brazil took a record 19 days, with speeds reaching over 20 knots at times. Upon arrival Mike said “ I’m more than satisfied – the boat and all the technical equipment ran very well even during the most difficult moments”
Mike next walked across South America, rejoined his F-28 in Ecuador, and then completed the long 8,685 mile Pacific leg in 67 days without any problems. The Indian Ocean crossing was the most difficult ocean segment and Mike then walked across Africa to Gabon to complete the circumnavigation of the globe at the equator without any motorized transport – the first to ever do this.
It should be noted that Mike’s F-28 is a completely stock F-28, straight off the production line, and without any special modifications other than what Mike did himself. It was an excellent demonstration of the strength and reliability of stock Farrier designs. However it should also be noted that while it is nice to know that the F-28 is capable of such long ocean crossings in experienced hands, it still remains a small trailerable yacht and is not recommended or intended for this purpose.
For more information, see www.mikehorn.com
December, 2000: With too many ‘behind the scene’ financial strings becoming apparent, and assurances not kept, along with quality control problems, Ian Farrier decides to finally separate completely from Corsair Marine to concentrate on new projects via other avenues …..more details.
March, 2001: Dean Snow’s F-9R takes line honors in Australia’s classic Marlay Point Race. Story on Reports page
June, 2001: Wayne Gorrie’s F-9A REDSHIFT wins multihull division of the Cadillac Van Isle 360, a great race around Vancouver Island. REDSHIFT was also second fastest overall, only a few hours behind a Formula 40 racing catamaran.
June, 2001: Richard Roscoe’s F-9AX TRIOHE proved quite a performer by coming 11th fastest overall in the 2001 Round the Isle of Wight Race on the 16th June, from 1775 starters! The F-9AX is a wider and even roomier version of the F-9A/F-31, and TRIOHE had a better elapsed time than three out of the four America’s Cup class, and all the big boat class including two open 60s. Best speed seen was 21.5 knots and the only multihulls faster were specialist racers with minimal accommodations. A good effort from a maxi-accommodation cruiser. Overall Multihull winner on corrected time was Peter Newman’s F-27 MARTINE.
October, 2001: Work begins on the all new F-33
April, 2002: The largest gathering of Farrier designed trimarans ever – 75 boats take part in theCorsair/Farrier Trimaran Nationals at Fort Walton Beach
January 2003: The revolutionary F-33 is launched in Australia
January, 2004: F-27 inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame – full story
June, 2004: F-33R Wins The ‘Round Island Race’ – full story on Latest News Page
December, 2005: F-33R Fastest In Harvest Moon Regatta – full story on Latest News Page
January, 2006: F-22 design released for home builders
April 2006: F-33 Wins Conquistador Cup – full story on Latest News Page
April, 2007: First F-32 is launched
September: 2007: First F-39 Launched
May, 2008: First F-22 Launched
July, 2009: F-32SR design released
November, 2010: F-85SR design released
December, 2010: First F-22 production float hull made
December, 2011: First F-22 production main hull made
2013: First F-22 production version Launched
2014: First F-22 production version delivered to Brisbane, Australia
2016: F-27 named as one of the four most influential designs of the past 50 years by Robert Perry of Sailing Magazine