Corsair F-27 history

F-27 Designed by Ian Farrier, built under licence by Corsair Marine as Corsair F-27

1984: Ian Farrier moves to the U.S. to set-up Corsair Marine, while vice president, to develop and build his F-27 trimaran design

1985: Ian Farrier sails SUPER FOX to a new race record in her first official event - The Two Man Around Catalina Race. The F-27 trimaran took line honors by 4 hours, and won on handicap, from a fleet of mostly bigger boats, including a maxi (65') ULDB monohull. Starting last, the F-27 overhauled the entire monohull fleet on the first 30 mile windward leg in very choppy 20 to 25 knot conditions.

1986: SUPER FOX demonstrates the F-27's great versatility by again winning the Two Man Around Catalina Race, but this time in very light conditions. It gave such boats as a McGregor 65, S & S 51, Frers 46, and C & C 42, 15 minutes start, yet still caught and passed them all. The F-27 was the only boat fast enough to finish within the time limit.

1987: The first ocean crossing by an F-27. Mark Robson's KILLER FROG sails in the Trans Pac Race from Long Beach to Hawaii. Averages just on 8 knots for a quick 12 day passage, including one 250 mile day. It should be noted that while it is nice to know that the F-27 is capable of such long ocean crossings in experienced hands, it still remains a small trailerable yacht and is not recommended or intended for this purpose.

1988: The second ocean crossing, this time across the Atlantic. Adrian Went's F-27 OLIJFE makes an impressive passage of 23 days from Cape Cod to Bishop Rock, England and then on up through the English Channel to Holland.

1989: The F-27 CORSAIR wins the multihull division of the Newport - Ensenada Race, the first time a production trimaran has done this.

1990: The F-27 recognized by the Nippon Ocean Racing Club as an official class - the first trimaran to be so recognized.

1990: Two more F-27s cross the Pacific to Hawaii, one singlehanded, one doublehanded.

1990: The F-27 AQUATEC easily wins the Australian Multihull Offshore Championships, a series of 7 races. AQUATEC is the first trailerable multihull to do this.

1990: F-27s are the first multihulls invited to compete in the Audi National Offshore One Design Regatta, (N.O.O.D) organized by SAILING WORLD and held at Newport, Rhode Island.

1991: Dr. Werner Stolz and Roswitha Schadt's F-27 becomes the second F-27 to cross the Atlantic.

1991: Ian Farrier leaves Corsair Marine

1993: Two F-27s blitz the fleet in the 1993 Miami - Key Largo race, averaging an incredible 18.2 and 17.9 knots for the 43 mile course.

1994: Corsair is sold to new owner Paul Koch, and Ian Farrier resumes full support

1995: SAIL magazine gives the F-27 an honorable mention, along with such boats as the Laser and the 12m Australia II, as "having had a significant and positive impact on sailing over the past 25 years".

1997: Production of Corsair F-27 ends at 453 units. Superseded by the Corsair 28 range.