TEST Fareast 26, the monotype that speaks Chinese

China is slipping into the world of monotypes, historically dominated by models from Europe and the United States of America. It does so with an eight-meter hull, the Fareast 26, which has a truly brazen price tag of 31,700 euros (excluding VAT plus 3,000 euros for sails and as much for transport from China) and a signature that is famous on the race courses: that of the Dutch Simonis-Voogd studio. The Shanghai-based Chinese shipyard, established in 2002, has long been a world leader in the production of Optimists and 420s, and for the past decade has also specialized in the production of cabin cruisers and one-designs (including a Racer series, built entirely of carbon).

TWENTY-SIX CARRIAGEABLE FEET
Easy and maneuverable on the water as well as on land, the Fareast 26 is conveniently trailerable: in about half an hour the boat will be ready to be transported wherever you feel like sailing. In terms of equipment, the Shanghai shipyard does not give up on quality: sails are North Sails, deck equipment is from Harken, and rigging is from Selden.

SMALL BUT FUN: OUR TEST
During our water test of the Fareast 26, we had a chance to test what is surely its most appreciable feature: its speed on the water even in low winds (around six knots). The fun is assured and amplified by the tiller steering that conveys the typical feel and sensation of a dinghy.

Thanks to the interesting ratio, more than 60%, between displacement (the hull is vacuum-infused vinylester resin with reinforcements at the points of greatest stress, this sandwich construction makes it possible to keep the weight down: 1,655 kg, including 600 kg of ballast) and upwind sail area (37.20 square meters, including 23.20 of mainsail, a generous area for an 8.38-meter hull) the hull has no difficulty accelerating when the slightest pressure arrives, thus ensuring fun even in light breezes (upwind we touched 3.5 knots with six of true). A hull that certainly prioritizes performance over cruising (interesting, however, is the possibility of “nautical camping” since there are as many as five bunks on board) and therefore suitable for those who want to test themselves on race courses (the daggerboard blade and rudder tiller are made of carbon and the bulb of torpedo lead) without an excessive effort in economic terms.

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VIDEO: THE BOAT AS TOLD BY THE IMPORTER

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET.
Length. over all m 8.38
Width. at b. max m 2.55
Draft m 1.70
Displacement kg 1,655
Ballast kg 600
Sup. sail sqm 37.20
Mainsail sqm 23.2o
Genoa sqm 14
Spi Asymmetrical sqm 57.40
Sleeps 5
Simonis-Voogd Project
Base price 31,700 euros
Built by Fareast
Imported from www.seaway.it