Most of the 740's were named farr something. Farrcical was one i sailed on, Farrnatic i seem to recall was another, not sure if Farrout was another Farr.
The red white and green one was called Spaghetti Factory. Chris Carlile had a navy blue one at Sandy.
Used to race one out of Sydney, called Small Commission, owner replaced it with a Peterson 30, half tonner, called her Half Commission.
I sailed a bit on Farrnatic, good fun with some nice blokes. Interesting one very light day the owner couldn't get her going - I said "give me a go" and found (I'd had previous experience on a different boat) that at very low boat speeds, the helm operated in reverse - go to head upwind and the boat bears away instead, and vice versa. This kills boat speed, but hold the helm central and let the speed build, and steering goes back to normal.
So many memories here of the Prime Time of sail on port phillip bay...I sailed with these guys..and was off to the 1/4 ton worlds in Europe when I came down with appendicitis just a week before leaving...Freckle was not impressed. Also did a few series with Dorro & Co on a slew of 1/4 tonners before getting involved with JLaw....(with Greg Melody)...a boat that absolutely dominated JOG for a while. Steinman was on a roll and we then jumped onto the Zulu's for the next chapter. So lucky to have experienced tonners, JOG & IOR at their peaks...Good Toimes! ;-)
Philistine! And you are from Pittwater - did you not know that Gretel 2 used to do the same thing at <2knots BS? Alan Payne never figured it out AFAIK. As a kid I sailed on a Cole 43 that also had the same foible. In that case we filled in the prop aperture in the rudder skeg and shifted the prop to come out of the keel (hydraulic motor) and that solved it.
Sure you're talking about Gretel II? I skippered her for 4 years and never noticed that - maybe that was before her rebuild in 1977, or the complete rebuild 2009.Philistine! And you are from Pittwater - did you not know that Gretel 2 used to do the same thing at <2knots BS? Alan Payne never figured it out AFAIK. As a kid I sailed on a Cole 43 that also had the same foible. In that case we filled in the prop aperture in the rudder skeg and shifted the prop to come out of the keel (hydraulic motor) and that solved it.
Lady Grace also had a foam sandwich hull so was a bit lighter and stiffer than a standard hull.
Lady Grace also had a foam sandwich hull so was a bit lighter and stiffer than a standard boat.
I thought I had replied to this - dunno what happened. Pretty sure it was G2, and in original challenge form. I had no personal experience (only sailed on the boat once and didn't steer), but it was reported in the sailing mags of the time. Those reports were how I knew about the issue and could pick what was happening with the Cole 43. Bloody long time ago though, and I could have remembered wrongly!
Fair enough, just interested - funny you should mention Cole 43s - my father in law raced one in the 1970s - Ruffian.
The Cole 43 Ruffian is hanging unloved on a mooring in Williamstown, VIC. Heres an earlier shot while she was still on the marina
That's a shame. Having raced on them and against them, it's hard to not have a soft spot for the C43's, good seaworthy boats that they are. I think we raced against Ruffian in a Hobart or 2, but the ones I particularly remember are Bacardi and Taurus.
Ruffian did a few Hobarts - 1976 was his best result i think. She had a spinnaker with Hagar The Horrible on it!
Only unloved because the current owner, having read all the SA post, abandoned her because it has an offset companionway!
I had completely forgotten that! I'm lucky to have survived ...Only unloved because the current owner, having read all the SA post, abandoned her because it has an offset companionway!
