How Was The Farrier Folding System Invented?
Sailing through a fleet of monohull trailer sailers in 1973, while on an early Piver trimaran, it occurred to designer that the trimaran configuration would be ideal for the trailer sailer. It is light for towing, much more stable, totally unsinkable, and it sails much faster. The only problem was how to fold it down for trailering. Several existing systems were investigated, including telescopic beams, straight hinges, and the ‘swing wing’ system. Telescopic beams have major binding problems from alignment, or grit, and are seldom used or tried anymore. Straight hinges are major weak points in the actual beams, and don’t allow folding on the water. The ‘swing wing’ system has structural problems with multiple hinges and the associated wire braces frequently used. The end swages of such wire braces are located just above water level and very susceptible to corrosion, as are the wires themselves. A sudden failure without warning in this area could be catastrophic and life threatening, a
