Farr
Farr 38
On an Auckland pier at the end of the 1970s you are ringed by IOR race boats with swollen midships and rule-bent ends. Bruce Farr design number 72 - sold as the Farr 38 and, in New Zealand and Australia, as the Farr 11.6 - looks almost plain beside them: clean waterlines, a lightish ~4.8 t hull, and a fractional swept-spreader rig that refuses the complicated runners those rating games demanded. About 85 hulls were completed from 1978 across New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and plans-built boats. Treat published figures as LOA 11.66 m, beam 3.66 m, and draft near 1.98 m. Reject catalogue copy that still prints 1990–2000 northern-European years, and do not confuse this boat with the earlier Jenny H one-off (#65) or with the Farr 30 / Mumm 30 one-design.
The stake on survey is not brochure romance. You are buying either a cold-moulded wood shell or a GRP Compass-line hull under the same name, and you are buying an aft-cockpit racer-cruiser that still asks for sail inventory honesty more than centre-cockpit living. The Auckland one-design roots explain why owners still talk about club race days; the multi-country build trail explains why plate origin and construction method belong on the first hardstand visit. A buyer who skips that fork will compare weights and moisture strategies that never belonged to the same shell.
On Blocket, Scanboat, and broker boards these hulls turn among buyers who want Farr manners near 38 ft without IOR costume. Nordic ownership works when berth, insurance, and a keel-bolt plus deck-core reserve sit beside wire age. Plan annual baseline costs on the order of the ownership table on this page; full deck-core or keel-grid work sits outside that band. Treat insurance loadings for classic construction as a line item, not as a surprise after the deal.
When you shortlist a hull, confirm design #72 identity and 1978-era production, map wood versus GRP construction from the plate and invoices, probe deck-core moisture at winches and tracks, and score keel bolts under load. Cross-shop a protected centre-cockpit Hallberg-Rassy only if living layout is the priority; reject any listing that sells this design as a Farr 30 OD or as a 1990s catalogue filler. Bring a moisture meter and a standing-rigging invoice request to the first hardstand, not only a camera.
At a glance
Quick facts
- Production
- 1978+
- LOA
- 11.66 m
- Beam
- 3.66 m
- Model
- Farr 38
Key takeaways
- Best for: Bruce Farr #72 / Farr 11.6 racer-cruiser (1978–, 85)
- Common issue: keel bolts and deck-core moisture under fittings on multi-country builds
- Typical price: thin used pool; reject C09 years 1990–2000 / Jenny H / Farr 30 mix-up
Technical data
- Length overall (LOA)
- 11.66 m
- Beam
- 3.66 m
- Production years
- 1978+
Design history
Bruce Farr drew design number 72 in 1978 as a fast cruising sloop that stepped away from strict IOR rule distortions toward a lighter, stiffer hull with a fractional swept-spreader rig and no complicated runners. Yard and secondary records agree on about 85 hulls, LOA 11.66 m, beam 3.66 m, about 4.8 t displacement, and draft near 1.98 m. Production ran from 1978 and is out of production; do not invent a closed end year.
Builders included Compass Yachts in New Zealand, Spindrift in Canada, Marina Bracuhy in Brazil, and other licensed or plans-built boats in Australia and South Africa. New Zealand production boats are often fibreglass; some cold-moulded wood examples finished with epoxy still sail. Treat construction as a survey variable, not as a separate model page.
Do not confuse this design with the earlier one-off Farr 38 Jenny H (#65, 1977) or with the Farr 30 / Mumm 30 one-design. Those boats share a designer surname and a rough length band; they do not share this #72 plate, the 11.66 m LOA record, or the multi-country 85-hull census.
Unknown without the seller file: which country built the shell, whether the wood/GRP fork matches the advert photos, and the last standing-rigging campaign date.
Typical problems
Buyer FAQ
- Which Farr 38 design number and years should I verify first?
Bruce Farr design #72 (Farr 11.6), production from 1978 with about 85 hulls. Reject listed years 1990–2000 and do not treat the 1977 Jenny H one-off (#65) or the Farr 30 OD as the same boat.
- What dimensions should match the published record?
LOA about 11.66 m and beam about 3.66 m with displacement near 4.8 t and draft near 1.98 m. Listings that print only 11.6 m without hull count are incomplete.
- Is this a heavy centre-cockpit cruiser?
No. It is an aft-cockpit fractional racer-cruiser. Cross-shop Hallberg-Rassy only if you want protected centre-cockpit living, not as a like-for-like twin.
- How serious is the wood versus GRP construction fork?
Cold-moulded wood and GRP shells coexist under the same name. Confirm plate origin and construction method before you compare weight, moisture strategy, and paint systems.
- What survey issues dominate ownership?
Deck-core moisture at winches and tracks, keel-bolt condition on the deep fin, and standing-rigging age on fractional terminals. Soft deck and undocumented wire are actionable before cosmetics.
- What are realistic annual ownership costs in the Baltic?
Plan insurance, winter storage, rigging inspection, and keel/deck reserves beyond purchase price. See the ownership table on this page.
Annual ownership costs
| Cost item | Low (SEK) | High (SEK) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marina berth | 20,000 | 46,000 | ~11.7 m class, Stockholm/Gothenburg |
| Insurance | 10,000 | 24,000 | Agreed value; classic loadings |
| Haul-out + winter | 12,000 | 28,000 | Crane and cradle |
| Antifouling + hull care | 6,000 | 18,000 | Barrier touch-up raises high end |
| Engine / systems | 5,000 | 18,000 | Pathfinder-era and later diesels |
| Rigging reserve | 8,000 | 24,000 | Wire age on 1978-era terminals |
| Keel / deck / sails | 12,000 | 40,000 | Bolt checks, core follow-up, sails |
| Total annual | 78,000 | 205,000 | Excludes major keel or deck campaigns |
Planning ranges for routine Baltic ownership of Farr 38 / 11.6 from Nordic yard practice and survey notes, not a quote for your marina. Full deck-core replacement or keel-grid work sits outside the annual band.
Pre-purchase survey checklist
Pre-purchase inspection checklist: Farr 38 / 11.6
Hull, keel and underwater body
- Confirm design #72 identity and LOA near 11.66 m / beam 3.66 m against the plate; reject incomplete 1990–2000 listings.
- Moisture-map the underwater hull after a dry haul-out; document barrier history on GRP shells.
- Inspect deep-fin keel bolts and rudder bearings under load on sea trial.
Construction fork and deck
- Record wood versus GRP construction from plate and invoices before comparing weight claims.
- Probe soft spots under winches, tracks, and stanchion bases after freeze seasons.
- Map deck-core moisture independently of cosmetic gelcoat colour.
Rig and machinery
- Demand standing-rigging invoices on the fractional terminals; treat undocumented wire as near-term spend.
- Confirm absence of complicated runners matches this design's swept-spreader layout.
- Operate reefing and furling under realistic load; verify engine mounts and exhaust paths.
Expert verdict
FairHelm rating: 8.0/10: Bruce Farr #72 / Farr 11.6 (1978–, 85, 11.66×3.66); reject C09 1990–2000 / Jenny H / Farr 30; survey keel bolts and deck core.
Vadim Nareyko, FairHelm Editorial, Last reviewed: 2026-08-30