X2 BY FARR
Hull length 9.20m 30ft 1in • LOA 10.80m 35ft 4in • Beam 3.15m 10ft 3in • Draught 2.10m 6ft 11in • Displacement 2,500kg 5,512lb • Price ex VAT TBC • www.farryachtsales.com
The latest IRC design developed specifically for short-handed racing comes from one of the most established names in the industry, Farr Design. The twin rudder and water-ballasted X2 was developed in conjunction with former Mini 650 sailor Brett Perry, who runs the Australasian arm of Farr Yacht Sales and describes it as, “a Mini on steroids.”
To date, conventional thinking has been that a small IRC design needs to be relatively heavy to rate competitively – the JPK10.30 and Sun Fast 3300 for instance weigh more than 3.5 tonnes.
At just 2,500kg, this boat is way lighter than typical IRC optimised boats of this size – even the Dehler 30 One Design is around 300kg heavier – and promises to be a lot of fun. Perry is also confident it will be able to sail to its rating, which trial certificates indicate will be in the 1.0651.080 range, for a boat in “full turbo mode”.
“We have studied very carefully the major players in the sector and we see no reason to limit the sail area and maximise the weight to the extent they have gone,” he explains. “Obviously, we have not gone crazy, but we are at the performance end of the spectrum.”
He says Farr analysed VPP comparisons for longer distance races including ten-year average conditions for the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Middle Sea Race, Newport Bermuda, and a couple of tran-atlantics. They found that the X2 prevailed against other designs in this, extending away from the heavier boats that currently dominate.
As fleets become established around the world the plan is for an owner-driven one-design format, drawing on Farr’s enviable experience of establishing classes including the Farr 30 and 40.
As we went to press, final negotiations with the builder were being completed, with the aim of providing a competitive turnkey package at an attractive price – that price being “well within the scope of the current market sector,” says Perry. The aim is to have the first boats on the water in Sydney before Christmas.