The New F-22 Sport Tri
A Low Cost Trailerable Trimaran
(Updated May 12th, 2008)
The F-22 is a brand new design that is being developed in New Zealand by Farrier Marine (NZ) Ltd, who will be building both F-22 and F-32 kit components, and then possibly complete boats. The low cost 'Down Under' building environment will help keep costs low, while all parts can be shipped economically anywhere in the world. In the meantime, the F-22 is available in plan form for those who wish to build their own, and start now.
Oliver Doms F-22 in Germany with sails up for the first time. Oliver is using a rather unique
tubular mast, with a total cost of $800. Such possibilities are one of the many advantages of
building your own boat, as with budgets frequently getting tight towards project end, a low
cost mast like this can mean the difference between launching now, or in 12 months time.
Bow view, which shows the high set 'low drag' beams very well
Mast raised for the first time
A low cost entry level trailerable trimaran was first thought about in the late nineties, with details of the initial concept boat being published in 2001, but other projects such as the F-32/F-33 already in process had priority, which delayed development for some time. However, the F-22 was always intended to be a completely new breakthrough boat, and such boats do take considerable thought and time to develop well. The 'Hall of Fame' F-27 initial concept drawings were originally done in 1978, but it took another 7 years before it became a reality. The F-22 is taking just as long, with the first launchings due in 2008, but it will be worth waiting for.
Corsair Marine had a shot at such a boat in 2005 with its Sprint model, which is basically a combination of my old F-24 and Tramp designs, with eighties technology, but it has too little room and too much sail area to make a good cruiser, plus the high price puts it out of reach for many.
Folding trimarans are more complex craft and difficult to build at low cost, particularly when combined with the desired low weight. Corsair's 24/Sprint currently sells for over $50,000, which is a considerable amount for most to purchase a small entry level small trimaran. Other trailerables are available for around $30,000, but can often be no more than two or three very narrow fiberglass hulls, with little or no room, all tied together with a couple of basic aluminum or fiberglass beams.
Value is hard to find with many such boats, and the quality or configuration frequently does not justify the expense to buy, or the time required to build. In some cases it is surprising that they can cost so much when one gets so little. The F-22™ is intended to solve this problem, as a brand new entry level design, and intended to be a light weight, roomy, low cost trailerable trimaran, which will be available initially in plan or kit boat form, and then as a full production sail-away boat.
The F-22 will come in two basic models, the full cabin cruising version as shown above, and a large cockpit cuddy cabin version as shown below.
The cuddy cabin version is the perfect day sailer, and racer, and it will be possible to convert the cuddy cabin into the full cabin cruiser should this be required later, and for maximum resale value. A very interesting option for the cuddy cabin version will be adding the optional aft cabin. One then has a huge central cockpit, that can be fully enclosed and weatherproofed for a large living area, along with two below deck double bunks, one in the bow and one in the stern, plus the bow bunk can easily be split into two singles. The potential of this version, with its overnight capabilities and room, coupled with a huge central cockpit for day sailing, looks very impressive.
Overall, the main design object with all versions was to achieve just the right balance between room, performance, and safety. Like all Farrier designs, the F-22 will be a true and practical cruiser, but one that also happens to perform very well. The other main requirement was to keep both cost and building time low, and, to help achieve this, many aspects of the F-22 from design and building to marketing are being done quite differently.
General Background
The F-22 is intended to be a modernized and easier to build version of the Farrier Trailertri 680/720, which pioneered the folding trimaran concept back in the seventies and eighties. Hundreds of such Trailertris were built from scratch, by many who had never built a boat before, and these first generation Farrier designs proved that the trailerable trimaran had a great future.
Bob Hall's aft cabin Trailertri 680 'Neheya II' - launched in 1979 . . . . Bob Forster's aft cockpit Trailertri 720 - launched in 1988
The production F-27 then followed, this being the first 'second generation' design and represented a major leap forward in hull shapes with its low rocker, and planing center hull, while retaining the same basic well proven beam structure and folding system. Construction also advanced significantly with round bilge hulls and foam core becoming standard. It was also one of the first production boats in America to use extensive aerospace vacuum bagging techniques for most parts, along with significant use of carbon fiber.
The F-22 will feature an even more integrated and further improved third generation beam and folding system, as developed for the F-33 and new F-32. It will retain the current and well proven hull lines, with evolutionary improvements, coupled with many detail upgrades.
Design Overview
The F-22 is being designed as a very versatile boat, from a simple open cuddy cabin day sailer to a full cabin overnight cruiser, depending on builder/owners preference. It will have much more usable room than the TT680, and almost as much as the F-24/F-25 due to the many design refinements. Being a light and very simple boat, it will also be towable by a 4 cylinder car, a very important factor with rising fuel prices.
Hulls: Main hull lines have been optimized further with a higher displacement being achieved, but with a lower wetted surface area, while it has a slightly flatter bottom with less rocker so it will plane earlier. More interior room has also been created by optimizing main hull 'underwing' shape to exactly match the folded float sides.
Floats are larger, with much more buoyancy lower down and further forward, for the maximum performance, and a lower heel angle. The extra buoyancy in the bows is very important for todays taller rigs, as just adding a larger rig onto an older hull design can generate bad habits and control problems. The F-22 floats actually have more buoyancy than those used on the F-24. Floats are also flangeless as on the F-33 for that much cleaner, smoother look, along with fewer problems, and less drag.
Deck: Cockpit is very long and a little wider than earlier designs, for a more spacious feel. The usual cockpit bridge is to be eliminated by some careful engineering, and replaced by a removable compression strut for when needed (such as racing). This will leave the aft mounted traveler as the only obstacle across the cockpit, but one that is well out of the way.
The cabin roof camber and edge rounding have both been reduced to make cabin top more user friendly, safer to walk on, and easier to build. For lower weight and cost, only one winch will be required on most models, and this will be able to control all sheets and halyards.
Beams: The new F-33 style third generation beams and folding system are probably the biggest difference over earlier designs, with slimmer, more curved beams, that are set significantly higher. Beam tops are wide and relatively flat, for convenient and safe walking areas, while the wide overlapping flanges deflect any spray down, and cover lashing gap along wingnet edges, eliminating any chance of feet going through this area.
Folding struts are anchored directly to the beams (no metal brackets), but using an even simpler system to keep costs low. The shorter beams are mounted externally to the cabin, for more interior room, and give a significantly lower trailering height with less windage when towing (less fuel required).
Compared to the F-24/C24/Sprint750, still the best benchmark for this size boat, the F-22 beams have 18% less frontal area, are 77mm (3") higher off the water (just inboard of the float) and are around 20% lighter. This, coupled with the F-22's larger floats, all add up to a faster, and much drier boat.
Rig: This will be very simple, with rotating mast, all synthetic shrouds, and carbon fiber chainplates - turnbuckles and all metal parts have been eliminated wherever possible.
A complete set of synthetic rigging for the F-22R
Sails: Three sails will be standard, for simplicity and ease of use, these being main, jib, and a larger screacher. Mainsail will be boomless, to save both weight and cost (and sore heads), while the longer luff of the boomless main is more efficient, and gives a lower center of effort. A roller furling boom will also be optional if desired. Jib tack and/or furler (if used) is mounted below foredeck, for a deck sweeping jib for maximum efficiency, while also keeping sail area low where it should be. Screacher will mount to the end of the aluminum bow pole, which can be removed/retracted onto foredeck by simply pulling one pin at deck level. No need to undo bobstay, or have a complicated release system.
A retractable pole as used by the F-33 was considered but ruled out due to the extra complexity and cost. The prime object of the F-22 is low cost and ease of construction, so everything is being kept as simple as possible, plus the below setup does have some definite advantages of its own.
Other performance options for open races (not for class racing) will be a spinnaker, and a tall roller furling genoa. To make headsail changing quick and easy, the F-22 will have a new 'forestay rack', which is a carbon fiber web in the bow with three separate built in mounting points for headsails or forestay. These are intended for the jib (below deck), the opt. roller furling genoa (just in front of bow), and an extra 'backup' synthetic forestay should this be desired. Such a setup means the stainless steel forestay or luff wires can be safely replaced by synthetics. With this setup, the genoa can be hoisted and unfurled while jib is in position and working until genoa is set. Jib is then dropped.
Performance level will be quite high due to the light weight, but not scaringly so with the efficient low profile rig. For experienced sailors who like to sail on the edge, a higher racing 'R' rig will be optional, and this will make the F-22 even faster than the F-24, and maybe as fast as the F-82. F-22 and F-22R sail plans can be downloaded from the Farrier Marine Study Site
Foils: Daggerboard or centerboard options will be available. The daggerboard is the simplest and most efficient and its case helps to support the mast. The centerboard can be more convenient, its offset case taking up less room in the cabin, plus it will kick back should it hit bottom. Tapered foils are also now being used, as these can be longer with less wetted surface area - or more efficient. Daggerboards are never used in the floats as these have major drawbacks, including being twice as complex, and heavier. They also do not save any interior space compared to an offset centerboard, which is much more practical and simpler.
Directional control will be via the latest transom mounted retractable daggerboard rudder system, as recently developed for the F-82, for maximum efficiency and simplicity.
Auxiliary: An outboard of 4 to 8 HP is recommended, and this is mounted on an offset bracket, forward of the stern, to minimize cavitation.
Interior
The basic interior layout will be similar to the F-24, with a double forward and two single berths on each side, which will also extend down the cockpit sides as quarter berths, considerably so in the case of cuddy cabin versions.
CRUISING CABIN VERSION
Galley can be fixed (at the cost of berth space), or removable. Head can be located as shown and a full width curtain across cabin center can give basic privacy when needed. An additional aft berth will also be possible under the cockpit for those who don't mind limited headroom (plenty of width). The now available aft cabin option will however make the aft berth very comfortable.
Cabin sides have been moved outboard to be more parallel to centerline than earlier designs, which creates more interior room, and also allow the use of wing berths, which can greatly increase accommodation options. The early Trailertri designs had wing berths, which work well, except there was no storage underneath. Thus, when one loaded up the boat, gear tended to be thrown on the wing berths, and this then ended up on the floor or settees when sleeping, creating a very messy boat. To overcome this on later designs, the wing berth areas were turned into dedicated storage areas while the settees were used for berths, and this worked out much better.
The original prototype Trailertri actually had a narrow cabin, with fixed side decks, but this proved
to be a mistake. Interior room was restricted too much, with wing berths not being possible, while
the side decks each side of the cabin are pointless when there are wingnets there anyway.
But on a smaller boat like the F-22, it is very important to use every possible space, so wing berths are back, as well as settee berths, so one has a choice. The big difference is that the F-22 wing berths have a storage area underneath, to minimize the storage problem.
There will be standing headroom under the large pop-top. This can also slide forward for quick cabin access, have the aft end only lifted to act as a dodger, or lift completely up to considerably increase comfort and room below. Sides can then be fully enclosed/screened.
CUDDY CABIN VERSION
The cuddy cabin version has a smaller cabin, but it is still capable of sleeping four at a pinch, with a double in the bow and two quarter berths on each side. A little narrow from waist down (16 - 18" wide), but still usable for most. An additional wide single berth can also be setup under the cockpit floor, or the aft cabin option can be added for a very large bunk in the stern area.
AFT CABIN VERSION
The cuddy cabin's accommodation can be increased even further by setting up an optional Bimini top, which can then be fully closed in around the cockpit coamings to give a large sheltered living area that can easily seat 6 - 8, with even enough room left over for a picnic table. A good example of this can be seen in the original Tramp Brochure while the F-22 Bimini is shown below
The new externally mounted beams increase the interior room significantly, and a good example of this can be seen with the forward beam bulkhead opening. This is now a min. 6" (150mm) wider than earlier models (at 4' 4" or 1.32m), giving a very spacious feeling to the cabin, and making the forward double berth area noticeably roomier.
Extensive and more detailed interior drawings covering all the possible options are now available on the Study Site
Folding and Trailerability
The F-22 uses the well proven Farrier Folding System™, easily the most popular folding system world wide, and now further improved with the new 'third generation' beams and folding system. Besides making building easier, the new configuration also eliminates the 'nuisance' beam recesses in the main hull deck of earlier designs, giving a much cleaner look.
Bob Trygg's Trailertri 680 in Duluth, Minnesota - note how these first generation
beams extend well inboard, to be about 6" apart at center.
Early designs, including the F-27, always had longer beams than necessary, with more hold down beam bolts than required structurally, in order to provide a 'fail safe' folding system. The beams actually ended near the center line, as with the Trailertri 680 above, and took up as much interior room as telescopic beams. Double or even triple beam bolts were also used which made the beams strong enough on their own, even if the primary structural member (the lower folding strut) failed. This 'fail safe' factor was very important to help reassure early buyers that this totally new type of craft would be strong enough, but this is no longer a factor.
The latest third generation externally mounted beams as shown on left (F-33) give
many advantages including a lower trailering height, more internal room, and
eliminate the recesses into the cabin (as shown at right).
The Farrier Folding System has now proved itself beyond doubt, and there has never been a single failure of any lower folding strut. Thus it was possible to begin eliminating beam bolts and shorten the beams, as with later designs such as the F-9A/F-31 and F-25. The F-22 goes even further, with beam length set at the minimal optimum, with no interior intrusion at all. The resulting short beams, braced by the lower folding struts, are the most efficient beams available for a trailerable trimaran. More information on the many advantages of the Farrier Folding System can be seen at
The F-22 beams and folding struts have also been lifted higher than earlier designs, with lower folding struts now being anchored inside the beams. The struts are thus even higher, and this will help eliminate any nuisance spray that can come from folding struts on occasion at high speeds. The beams will be curved more and shaped to capture and deflect any spray under the boat. The differences are shown by the following comparison drawing of the F-22 and the larger 1993 F-25 design (F-22 in red).
A significant improvement, and the difference is even more dramatic if the larger F-25 is scaled down to the F-22 size, where the F-22 beams then have 5" (130mm) more clearance at the outer ends.
Trailering improvements are shown quite clearly by the following comparison between the F-22 and the older Trailertri 680:
F-22 (red) and the Trailertri 680 - the F-22's greater beam clearance, larger floats,
and lower trailering height (less windage) are very apparent.
For ease of use, everything is being designed so that rigging and launching can be done single-handed. The target setup time from arriving at ramp and having boat rigged, and in the water, is less than 10 minutes.
The original 19' Tramp - being towed by a 4 cylinder car. The Tramp could be rigged and launched in 9
minutes flat by just one. The F-22 will weigh around the same, so will also be easily towable.
Construction
Buying a finished boat is the quickest way to get on the water, but it will still be some time before 'sailaway' F-22s are available to buy. Kit hulls will be available sooner, but in the meantime the only solution is to build your own hulls, and assemble with the ready-made beams and folding system. Plus, for those who like to save by building everything, and don't mind the time, then building your own hulls can have advantages.
The fastest way to build is with vertical stripped foam, as used by all other Farrier designs. All interior parts and bulkheads can be pre-cut panels, as this is where such panels work well.
Method and Materials: Vertical foam stripping as used for all other modern Farrier designs is the recommended choice, though cedar stripping will still be an option for those who prefer wood, or cannot obtain foam. Cedar wood strips are very durable, but they will take much longer and be significantly heavier. Plywood is specifically not recommended as it is heavy, can now be as expensive as foam in many areas, and has been the source of a number of rot problems in the early Trailertri series.
Hard chine construction was initially considered for the hulls, which would allow them to be built from factory pre-cut epoxy foam panels that are taped together by the builder. This process looked to be promising at first, but only if outside seam taping could be eliminated.
However, it soon became obvious that this was not the way, as it was impossible to eliminate exterior taping, and, the moment one has outside taping, then fairing becomes a major issue and any advantages are lost. Claims about flat panels being easy to fair are misleading - they can be, but not when join seams and exterior taping are required.
Other problems include the expense of such panels, plus many panels have pinholes requiring resin coating or filling. Taping also uses up enormous amounts of time and resin, adding considerable weight compared to a clean round bilge hull. Hard chine hulls are also less attractive, with a reduced load carrying capacity, and a much lower resale value.
Robert Prest's main hull form frames setup and ready to lay foam strips (Missouri, USA)
While hulls can be self built, the beams, hull mounts for the beams, and the folding system will only be available ready made from Farrier Marine to speed up the building process, and to maintain the quality of these important components. Such things as daggerboards, daggerboard case, rudders etc. will also be available individually ready made, as required, to help speed up the building process.
Building Time: The building time required is hard to estimate until the first boats are built, plus time also depends on the builder's skills and work rate. However, the target time is from 4 to 6 months part time to assemble from kit hulls, and around 12 - 18 months if building your own hulls. One will need to remain focused on the building process to achieve these times, and if distractions are likely, then building could take up to two years, so be prepared for this. A general guide to building times is also available here
Quick and easy building is one of the main objects with the F-22, so it will be a little more basic and simple in many areas, with fewer curved surfaces and rounded corners. One such example is float decks, which will be flat (as on the Trailertris pictured above), and this eliminates the need to form recesses for float hatches, makes the beam/float join very simple, while joining the flangeless floats will be far easier, the deck now being a simple 'drop on' flat panel. May not look quite as nice, but one will be on the water much earlier, and stand 10' back and it will be hard to tell the difference. Float deck edges will also only have a small radius, to avoid having to heat bend foam around the large radius corners as on larger designs, eliminating another time consuming step.
But perhaps most importantly, the need for accurately aligned bulkheads for the folding system has been eliminated by the new third generation folding system. Thus it will now be feasible to have the basic hulls built anywhere, and without any special alignment requirements, the ready made Beam Mounts for the beams and folding system just being slotted in, and only needing to be centered, leveled, and spaced apart the correct distance before taping in place.
There have also been numerous structural improvements, making the boat simpler, plus both stiffer and lighter. One example is the cockpit floor panel, which will now extend right through the boat to the bow, also forming the cabin settees and bow bunk. This makes a very stiff and strong box like backbone structure, saving both weight, and time.
A Note On Performance
Like all Farrier designs, the F-22 is intended to be a comfortable, safe cruiser, and one that can also be fast, but the performance is only achieved by efficiency, not excessive power. However, many competitors over the years have put a great emphasis on performance and race results, with very tall rigs and minimal room. It would be easy to make the F-22 footer faster than the F-31 for instance - just eliminate most of the room, and put on a big rig. But what is usually not mentioned with such boats is the greater danger of capsize or pitch pole, with wind capsize speeds that can be lower than 25 knots.
Such boats have very little practicality, are scary to sail, their crews soon get tired of the lack of comfort, lack of room, and the need to rent a nearby motel when participating in race events away from home. They also get tired of the hours trying to assemble them, or the hassles in retracting the floats.
Others have found that if they really want to go fast with no comfort, a cat with a couple of slender 30' (10m) hulls with a tall mast is better value (eliminate the center hull altogether), and such a cat may be able to at least sleep two in each hull instead of just two in one. However, while such boats can be cheap, they are not good all round performers, and remain very impractical for cruising or safe family sailing. One currently available appears to have a wind capsize force of less than 15 knots, and capsized during a recent race in only 14 knots. This is not a good feature and any multihull that needs such a big rig to compete is not a very safe or efficient boat.
An old photo of an early Trailertri 680 (22'), with an open wingdeck style 23' racing cat in the background,
and a 22' monohull. It is very obvious that one gets much more with a trailerable trimaran.
All Farrier designs (except specialized racing boats) use a minimum wind capsize speed of 30 knots or more, to ensure safety for crew and families, plus provide both room and performance. A few good race results are just not worth the extra risk and discomfort.
Availability
The F-22 will be available in both plan and kit form, the kit coming as a 'boat in a box', that can be shipped anywhere around the world. It can be assembled by anyone, or by a local boat builder for those without the time or inclination to do it themselves. Hulls may be built in several locations by licensed F-22 builders to minimize freight costs, and a number of professional boat builders in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada, USA and Europe have already expressed interest in assembling the complete boats.
The key parts such as beams, rudders, daggerboards etc. will all be built by Farrier Marine (NZ) Ltd, for the maximum efficiency, and to ensure a high quality standard. These components will then be shipped in bulk to the various builders as required.
Availability of the kit hulls is still difficult to estimate, as it will depend on a number of factors, while the development of the ready made F-32 beams and other components have had priority, but these are now complete. The F-22 beams and folding systems have benefited considerably from the F-32 work already done, and both F-22 beams and beam mounts also now in production
Plans are 100% complete and available now, with over 80 F-22s already building, and plan cost, including full size patterns for the hulls is US$1290. Plans have been a long time coming, but they are easily the best Farrier plans ever done, and well worth the wait.
Costs
Cost of the F-22 is a difficult question, as one cannot really tell until after the first few boats are built, plus it can vary significantly with standard of finish, quality of materials, degree and standard of fitout, and from country to country.
The target prices in the US market currently range from around $24,000 for a basic kit to around US$45,000 for a basic sail away boat. These are higher than initial estimates, mainly due to the US dollar falling some 25% since initial costing, while rising oil prices have also contributed to higher material costs. Pricing in many other countries however remain much the same or only a little higher, while US prices could also fall should the US dollar recover. A general guide to building times and pricing can also be seen here
It should also be emphasized that the prices given are only estimates and will vary over time, plus kit and sailaway prices are for high volume series production boats, not for low volume or professionally built 'one off' hulls or components. Low volume items will always cost more, just the same as a custom built car will cost much more than a production car. Higher prices are a common penalty to having one of the first of anything, and for the best pricing one may have to wait until full series production is under way.
In this regard, the object of the F-22 has always been an advanced low cost boat, and one that will set a new benchmark, not to just rush something onto the market. It has been quite a while in coming, but a faster development would only put prices up, with more staff being required, many of whom could not be used efficiently in early development stages. So although beams, rudders, hulls etc., could have been available much earlier, they would have cost 25 to 30% more, and not be as refined.
This was the case with the original F-27, which was developed relatively quickly, but the interest on the capital required for its development added around an $8000 premium onto every boat sold. Fast development times can be expensive in many ways.
In this regard, efficient production of F-22 beams and beam mounts is only being reached now, with the various reinforcements finally refined enough for profiles to be fully computerized and then cut in bulk. There are 67 pieces of reinforcement making up each beam (268/boat), and 31 for each beam mount, so it is very important that these be cut efficiently. Hand cutting will not do it at current prices, while the computer controlled machine cutting now being implemented allows up to 30 sets to be cut at once. This sort of efficiency is key to keeping the F-22 final pricing low, but setting it all up will take time.
For home builders, current cost for the basic materials to build three hulls is around US$5000 to $6000 depending the type of resin, core, and glass. Then providing one is very careful with sourcing components, total cost could be under $25,000 for a basic boat. The only way to know for sure is to price out the materials list in your area, as prices will vary depending on country, local content and suppliers margins, which can frequently be high in the marine field. To give an idea, quotes for the F-22 mast and rig have varied from over US$10,000 to less than US$5000, while the same thing can be made by the builder from a bare extrusion for around US$3000.
Overall, it should again be emphasized that there are no guarantees in regards to availability, and the above prices are targets only. Good design just takes time and cannot be rushed, while resin and foam prices are still rising along with oil prices, so more increases could be likely by the time hulls are available.
Marketing
The F-22 is also going to be marketed differently from earlier designs, with enthusiastic owners being sought, who are willing to build or buy their own boat, and then use it for demonstration sails, and/or local promotions, in return for a commission on sales. This could become a very enjoyable part time business for those interested, and may be eventually be setup as full time F-22 franchise opportunites.
Downloadable Drawings (PDFs)
Cruising Cabin
Cuddy Cabin
PDF files can be read by any computer system and only require the free Acrobat Reader program:
A number of F-22 drawings, including more detailed interior layouts, construction drawings, deck layout, and Materials List
are now available on the Farrier Marine Study Site
Basic Dimensions (provisional):
L.O.A..................................... 22' 10" (6.96m)
B.O.A..................................... 18' 1" (5.51m)
Folded beam............................ 8' 2 1/2" (2.5m)
Approx. bare weight ............... 1300 - 1500lbs (590 - 680kg) depending on model
Float Displacement...................3056lbs (1390kg)
F-22 Sail area (main & jib)...... 325sq.ft (30.15sq.m.)
F-22R Sail area (main & jib)....386sq.ft. (35.86sq.m.)
F-22 Mast Height.....................31' (9.4m)
F-22R Mast Height..................35.1' (10.7m)
Draft (board up)...................... 12" (0.31m)
Draft (board down)................. 4' 11" (1.51m)
Interior Headroom ...................5' 2" (1.58m), 6' 2" (1.88m) with optional "pop top"
Main cabin width......................7' 3" (2.2m)
Height on trailer........................8' 8" (2.64m) (will depend on trailer used)
Register For More Information
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However, no questions yet please, as these may not be answerable
at present, all available time being directed into F-22 component development.
F-22 and 'boat in a box' are trademarks of Ian Farrier