The ‘3.7′ was designed by Bruce Farr in 1970 as a single handed trapeze version of his successful 12 and 18 foot skiffs.
The class quickly became established and has become a popular alternative to Lasers and such like especially with the recent trend towards high performance trapeze boats.
At the present time over 370 boats have been built, most of them plywood but a female mould is available and has produced some excellent glass/foam boats.
The 3.7 is a one design hull but with sufficient measurement tolerance to allow for amateur built hulls, which comprise the majority of the fleet.
With a minimum hull weight of 50kg easily attainable this ensures the longevity of boats, and some of the oldest are also among the fastest. Bruce Farrs original 3.7 (XL, No. 1) is still racing competitively and is now over thirty years old, a tribute to the designer.
Although the 3.7 is a restricted rule class with a one design hull, there is plenty of latitude for a bit of ingenuity in other areas, particularly the rig. Various mast configurations are found at the front of the fleet from rotating diamond rigs to fixed spreaders.
Since the introduction of carbon fibre spars the performance and ease of sailing has further enhanced the classes growth with new boats appearing every season.
