[MHml] AntiFarrier

[Chris Ostlind]

Sure, I'll be happy to write Morrelli-Melvin regarding your question. I 
seriously doubt they will respond, But, OK, I'll write them. If their 
position were actually germane to the argument, it'd be worth a lot to more 
fully understand it.

If I'm pro anything, Paul, it's the disappointment over the position of 
non-responsibility that one sees in the Farrier argument when it comes to 
his racing boat "going over". Well, check that; the responsibility thing is 
only true as long as they aren't his boats.

I don't know of one single multihull person, much less a monohull guy, who 
would willingly accept the argument by Randy Reynolds that the R33 is a 
cruising design. Any doubts about that can be fully assuaged by visiting the 
Reynolds site and looking at the photos and examining the specs. 
http://www.r33.com/en/rs33/interior.asp  Camping style activity... maybe. 
With that out of the way, we are left with a pure and simple race craft, 
designed for one purpose. As Randy signs-off in most of his email and 
newsletters "Sail Fast". This is not about a guy who is focused on cruising.

I have had a couple of conversations with Reynolds over the last ten years, 
but I am not a proponent of his style for my needs as a sailor. His boats 
are but one item on a vast landscape of potential craft that "might" suit my 
needs.

Ian very carefully avoids the ownership of the mods to Cheekee in his 
response. The boat had several serious go-rounds with the modification 
hammer over the course of ownership by its previous owner. If you look 
through the list of stuff done to the boat, you will see that this is no 
"normal" F31 in any way, shape or form. Example: all the interior was gutted 
in favor of a full-tilt, carbon/nomex bulkheads and panels that were purely 
for the business of getting the boat lighter and faster for racing. There 
exists nothing even closely resembling a cruising boat there. Likewise, the 
entire rig, sail handling system and especially the lifting ama foils and 
the carbon aka beams have been heavily modified for one purpose... racing. 
http://www.cheekeemonkee.com/cheekeeMods.php



All along the way, Ian has been attributed with being involved with the 
development of the boat. He designed the carbon beams after the boat blew-up 
from the installation of the ama foils, he designed the interior refit in 
carbon/nomex away from the production interior, etc. I can only assume that 
he knew fully well what was being done, to what extent and for what end 
purpose. We all know he's not a dumb bunny, so what is the conclusion to be 
drawn here? He helped produce a single purpose, dedicated race boat, pure 
and simple, from his design. The crucial quote from the Cheekee Monkee 
website is: "November of 2004, we broke the starboard AMA right off, see 
Round the County story. We had four all new carbon AKAs designed and 
engineered by Ian Farrier"  This means that Ian was well informed of the 
existing status of the Monkee as a full-tilt race boat ... and he did the 
work anyway. This is much like Randy Reynolds sending his boats out with 
serious mods to the original design (if, in fact, he did them)

Now, Ian wants to pretend that it's no big deal that the same kind of crew 
error suffered by the R33's made it go over in racing conditions. What was 
the quote... "Boys will be Boys"  That would have made for a much nicer 
quote if the interaction, initially, with the whole multihull community if 
he had been more magnanimous the first time around. As I recall, Paul, 
you've had your issues with Farrier and his past claims, yourself. Why would 
you be so surprised that he's responding this way this time around?

Nicely enough, you do not have to buy Randy's boat with the Turbo rig and 
the super skinny beam. You also do not have to buy the F31, or whatever it 
is now. You can get a more normalized boat from both parties for less 
intense sailing and potential for poor incidents if you want. Unfortunately, 
if Ian had not let himself into the race to see how nasty of an F31 he could 
create in the Monkee, then he wouldn't have the issue being put before him. 
He accepted the commissions based on a real knowledge that the boat was 
going to be used for racing and not cruising. That is the end of his 
connection to the F31 design as a cruising boat in this regard and the 
beginning of his chase with an ultra race prepped version.

I do recognize that any multihull can go over in the right set of 
conditions, but it's disingenuous to suggest that Ian had no idea he was 
making a monster of a boat that had real speed burning potential... as long 
as it stayed on its feet. R33 owners could say the same thing about their 
boats.

Like the R33, the relatively new owners of the Monkee have stated that they 
had little time to get to know the boat in race or even serious sailing 
conditions. Their lack of boat knowledge led them into a scenario in which 
they were soon in over their heads. This sounds amazingly similar to the 
capsizing reports for the R33. New boat, little time in the saddle, no 
understanding of how fast things would happen once out on the water, etc.

Ian railed on and on about how the R33's were ruining the sport for all 
multihulls; about how M&M had gone to the darkest side of the multihull 
equation in drawing-up this boat and that they, in concert with Reynolds, 
were single-handedly destroying everything he had worked so hard to 
maintain. It was quite touching, actually. But, instead of compassion for 
the family of mulithull racers... Ian had contempt. It comes off as totally 
hypocritical in light of what has just unfolded.

So, here we have a boat, essentially designed and singularly race purpose 
modified by him which has done the very same thing, it tipped over. Yet he 
wants to squirm away from the responsibility.

Just for the record, every race driver needs to understand that they operate 
on a very thin reality edge. They alone have to decide when their boat is 
going too far and when it can safely operate within the envelope of the 
design potential. To that end, the drivers and the drivers alone, are 
ultimately responsible for the capsize. Ian would have you believe otherwise 
as long as it's not one of his designs.

That being said, Ian is not without connective responsibility in the matter, 
as his mods contributed to the potential of the boat the same as have the 
mods of Randy Reynolds for the R33. Yet, curiously enough, Ian wants to 
hightail it off in the other direction when his good works have gone bad. I 
was not raised to point the finger of guilt in the opposite direction when 
it comes to responsibility for one's work. I truly hoped to see Ian Farrier 
accept his part in the process and address it in a forthright fashion. He 
has not, to this point, but I really hope that he is soon capable of that 
demonstration.

Chris


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Nudd" <paulnudd at actionpotential.com.au>

> Really? Like when one prefaces with "with respect".
> The impression I get is that Chris is very anti-Farrier and pro-R33 and
> will jump on any opportunity to re-invigourate his battle.
> Ian's initial comment was dismissive however he has made a comprehensive
> comment now which addresses the issues appropriately.
> I would not consider a 45' carbon mast extreme for a F31. Aluminum would
> be too much weight aloft but with current carbon mast and current
> lightweight sail materials 45' should be about right for racing.
> Ian does not endorse or promote any of this for family cruising.
> Perhaps Chris should ask Morrelli-Melvin if they endorse the R33x14 as a
> family cruiser.
> It is interesting that in this size range you can have a tri that is
> suitable for both family cruising and competitive racing (eg standard
> F31) but if you must have a cat you need to make the choice.
> You can build a cat that will cost the same or even less than a 31' tri
> that will beat the tri across the line, but it won't be much of a
> cruiser. Alternatively you can build a cat that will cost the same or
> even less than a 31' tri that will cruise nicely with the family, but it
> won't be much of a racer.