Bruce Farr

Bruce Farr (born 10 March 1949, Auckland, New Zealand) is widely regarded as the most influential yacht designer of the modern era, with over 600 designs spanning dinghies to 218-foot superyachts and more than 40 America’s Cup boats—more than any other designer. Beginning with the groundbreaking Farr 3.7 skiff in 1971, he pioneered light-displacement, wide-stern planning hulls using early VPP and CFD modeling, revolutionizing performance sailing. His Farr 40 (1996) remains the longest-running one-design keelboat class, while NZL-32 “Black Magic” delivered New Zealand’s historic 5–0 America’s Cup victory in 1995. From the Farr 727 (500+ built) to Cookson 50 Sydney-Hobart winners and Volvo Ocean 65 racers, Farr’s designs blend speed, simplicity, and seaworthiness. Based in Annapolis with an office in Auckland, his firm continues to shape grand prix and cruising yachts, earning him induction into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Order of Merit. Farr’s legacy: making fast fun—and winning inevitable.