Articles on Freedoms from UK's Yachting Monthly Sep 09

treblestick
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:28 pm

Re: Articles on Freedoms from UK's Yachting Monthly Sep 09

Post by treblestick »

For all those who may be interested.....

Kriter Lady II is now in long Beach, California undergoing extensive interior and rigging upgrades -
Much has been learned about freestanding rigs since the early eighties!
The contemporary trend seems to be towards full-batten, large roach mainsails with conventional booms that can reef easily (although the word 'easily' may not apply to 900 s.f. mainsails)
She is actually 70 feet LOA by 17 feet nine inches in beam, the confusion with people thinking she was 65 feet long stems, I think, from her Whitbread racing entry number '65' painted large on both sides of the hull amidships, and on the foredeck as well (numbers still present)
She has on board a large tanbark sailcloth banner, with 'Freedom 70' and the Fairways Marine logo stitched on in white sailcloth, also the large sailcloth pennant with the number '65' (black on white)
Legend has it that she did in fact participate in the 1981 Whitbread first leg, during which the mast step issue surfaced, but set a monohull record East to West for that leg of the race.

Cheers!

Incorrigible
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:40 am

Re: Articles on Freedoms from UK's Yachting Monthly Sep 09

Post by Incorrigible »

This is definitely a little late, but I was delighted to see a photo of the Falmouth 45 as she is mine! I was lucky enough to meet the man who developed her from the Freedom, Chris Freer and he explained a little of the philosophy behind the design. The hull is, I believe, taken not from the Freedom 44 but from the Freedom 40 and has been extended aft. The rig is a simple bermudan sloop with a substantial mast and rigging, a large (Flying Dutchman style) genoa and a short boom. The idea was to make the occupants in the wheel/pilothouse (you can only steer with the auto pilot from within, although there are dual engine controls) feel very much a part of the action with those in the cockpit. There are only two short steps down onto the wheelhouse floor. There are double full length doors and two windows aft facing. The other great thing is that you can sit and look out of the windows. To go down into the galley and forward into the saloon and forecabin, there are a further two steps. There were apparently three Falmouth 45s built, one went off on one of the round the world races and the other somewhere South. I think Incorrigible is the only one in the UK. Diarmid

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