Yachting

MAY 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 83

USED boat tESt

the sail control lines are fed via a daunting
array of 14 rope clutches, jammers and
onward to two winches. The mizzen sheet
runs along the aft cockpit coaming.
The unsupported masts greatly reduce
the usual rig stresses on the hull and the
lack of shrouds and lightweight booms
eliminate the risk of a sudden gybe
bringing down the whole rig.

Design & construction
The hand-laminated Freedom hulls
are balsa-cored both above and below
the waterline for weight reduction and
insulation. However, this can make her
prone to water ingress and even, in the
worst case, delamination. Her hull shape is
quite traditional with a conservative beam
and long waterline for better performance
and a comfortable ride to windward.
The Freedom 35 was available with three
full-length keel options – shoal, deep,

and shoal keel with ballasted centreplate.

Green Flash has the latter and draws

only just over a metre with her plate up.

Her deep centreplate, however, offers

considerable lift when beating to windward

and, weighing some 500kg (1,100 lb), adds

considerably to her ballast.

Sailplan

The stayless ketch rig of the Freedom

35 features keel-stepped masts and

self-tacking sails with windsurfer-style

aluminium wishbone booms. The carbon-

fibre masts on our test boat are more

flexible and 40 percent lighter than the

aluminium versions, but cost considerably

more. The sails wrap around the masts,

which creates a clean leading edge and a

more efficient aerofoil shape, but it does

result in having twice the area of canvas

to stow at the end of the day and

increases the cost of replacements.

PHOTOS: COLIN WORK

The

owners

Marine surveyor Derrick Thorrington (44)

and his wife Ali have owned Green Flash

for the past 10 years, after selling their

Frances 26. They cruise extensively and

have visited most of the French, Irish and

Spanish coasts, and the Canaries.

Derrick runs DT Maritime, which offers

pre-purchase and insurance surveys,

refit/repair supervision, oversight of new

boat builds and specialist training.

Tel 07802 429367

Email [email protected]