We were pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mal from Patrick Shaughnessy, senior designer at Farr Yacht Design after we posted pictures of their new TP 52 Esmeralda. He simply reached out and said hi, offering to give us whatever info we might need. So I thought it made sense to throw a few questions at him, and here they are, along with his answers. Enjoy.

What are the intended goals of the new TP 52 Esmeralda?

PS
Esmeralda, which is the first example of our design 533, is intended to be an all around TP52. In this design we've tried quite hard to find compromises between offshore and inshore optimization to create a boat that can perform well at any of the intended class venues.

How does this boat differ from your first TP 52, Beau Geste?

PS
Esmeralda, again design 533, is a development of our Beau Geste, design 495 work. For the 533 design work we undertook a CFD based research path that led to several hull shape developments. Right now we obviously don't want to delve to deeply into those specific research points and results so instead I'll focus on some of the obvious changes. 533's hull shape most noticeably differs form 495's in its aft overhang which has been lengthened to suit its intended mixed venue program. On deck, 533's cockpit has been opened up aft in an effort to position its helmsman, tactician, and other afterguard members as far outboard as possible. The deck gear has been laid out more for inshore type racing and with an eye towards TP52 class sailing where headstay-less gybing requires dedicated afterguy solutions. The interior of the boat differs most noticeably in that it is not specifically laid out around the water storage for the Transpac race. Instead what you see down below is a fairly typical grand prix type layout fit within the meager class minimum freeboards that allows for future fitting of Transpac race water storage. Below the boat, the appendage package is more suited to around the buoys type work in it's sizing and has a bulb that is a development of our latest research work.

Of course there is little doubt that Esmo is a top flight program. If one were to want say, hull No.4 from Goetz, what would it cost?

PS
I'm going to have to give the answer you would expect. An existing design like 533 certainly offers economy of repeat sale. For a perspective client we would sit down to review their intended project goals to see if 533 can be a good fit. If the design meets their specific goals it cab be available for immediate start at what represents an excellent value. While the builder option is not limited, Goetz Custom Boats is positioned to offer a similar value on the basis of their existing tooling. Certainly we love to see another one under construction...

You guys designed three 52's, all built by Goetz. were they all the same, and were there any real economics of scale benefits to the owners?

PS
Each of the three TP52's built at Goetz from the 533 design will share the same core design features. There are several subtle differences in the specific deck and interior layouts of the boats. The collaboration was structured around an existing design, with ourselves and the team at Goetz handling the specific wants of the Sjambok and Bright Star programs. Certainly there are major benefits in sharing an existing design, or builder tooling, or buying power that can be used by groups like this.

Does the Farr office like the box rule approach of the TP 52 class? Do you see this formula spreading?

PS
At Farr Yacht Design we relish the challenge of head to head competition. We certainly feel like we are very competitive within a box type rule environment. Perhaps the best example of a box type rule in recent history is the Volvo Ocean 60/Whitbread 60 where we have clearly demonstrated our ability to stay on top.

Your thoughts on the TP 52 class's growth potential?

PS
The TP52 class has huge potential. I think there are quite a few potential owners who will be delighted to see this fleet coming together. The real key for the class short term will be convincing the owners of early boats to bring their boats back into class trim. It seems to me that the promise of 8 or more boats on a starting line should be plenty of encouragement for these guys.

Where is the solution going to come from to solve the global handicap problems?

PS
It's hard to say. The yachting community is fortunate to have people with good intentions and energy for solving the problems we face. Unfortunately the efforts to date have suffered various setbacks along the way. The key is to keep chipping away at the problem and working together to help find a solution. We share the sport in the end, so it is appropriate that we share the solution. At FYD we will continue to be as supportive as we can be of any and all discussions with the hope that we can keep things moving forward.

I would have thought of your office as a first choice, but Farr has been somewhat out of the mix in the maxZ 86 class, custom canters ala Genuine Risk, Wild Thing, etc..Any explanation for this? Are there some new boats in the pipeline?

PS
We've been very fortunate at FYD to be able to participate in a wide variety of markets segments. It takes a large talent pool like we have here to be able to spread effort as wide as we have. If you step back you'll see that we design into America's Cup, Volvo, Open 60's, IMS, TP52, One Design, Large cruising boats, and production boat areas which is quite a large spread. That said we're not resting on our laurels, we will be in the big race boat market in the future, and when we do arrive it will be with the same competitive product we have in our other areas.

Do you see any inherent dangers with a the world of maxi's going wild with canting keels?

PS
There are some safety related issues that will need to be addressed with canting keel boats. We completed some work on this front specifically for Volvo as an aid to their rule development and will be publishing an article in the short term future.

As the Farr 40 class reaches critical mass, where do you see the owners going?

PS
don't think there is such thing as critical mass for a class like the Farr 40. That class will continue to be the best thing going until a better alternative comes along. As long as there are owners who like real big boat one design racing, and driving their own boats, the F40OD class will continue to thrive. The owners and class management should be given a round of applause for keeping the class tight and true to its origins.

That's it for now - Thanks!

PS
Happy to help out. Any time.