Bruce Farr

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Bruce K. Farr OBE (1949) is a designer of racing and cruising yachts.

Boats designed by Farr Yacht Design have competed in every Whitbread Round the World Race since 1981^{[citation needed]}, and have won the 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 races. Farr's Volvo Round the World boats fared less well in 2006, however, as all four of his designs experienced problems after various failures in their Farr-designed keel canting mechanisms, including an abandonment of the yacht Movistar which was unable to stanch the flow of water through the keel box.^[1]

Farr is also a designer of America's Cup competitors, including New Zealand's entries in 1986 (co-designed with Ron Holland and Laurie Davidson) and 2000, and Larry Ellison's United States's BMW Oracle Racing Challenger in 2003 (accepted as Challenger of Record for the 2007 Cup).

Farr is the most successful designer of winners of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, having designed 15 overall winners between 1945 and 2003.^[2]

Farr's cruising yachts have been sold and sailed the world around. His production designs (mass-produced as opposed to custom) have been produced by a variety of yacht manufacturers including Cookson Boats, Carroll Marine, Beneteau, Concordia, Baltic and Nauta.

Some of the larger cruising luxury yachts Farr has designed include MIRABELLA, PHILANDERER, SOJANA and the two Southern Wind built 100 footers, FAREWELL and FARANDWIDE.

The Farr-designed Irish-owned yacht Chieftan, constructed in 2005 at Cookson's in New Zealand, was the overall winner of the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race. shortly after it was launched, Chieftan finished 5th at Australia's Hamilton Island Race Week, then won class in the 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Chieftain competed in all of the 2006 season Royal Ocean Racing Club races and won class in the Round Ireland, won overall in Round Britain and Ireland Races, was awarded Boat of the Year in Ireland in 2006, and finished as as the overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race.^[3]

Farr is a native of New Zealand and currently lives near Annapolis, Maryland. His services to yachting were recognized in 1990 when he was awarded the Order of the British Empire.