Farr Yacht Design received commissions for the design of Two Ton yachts following the Offshore Racing Council's (ORC) reintroduction of this level rating class at their November 1989 meeting. Mr. Yuji Sawano and Mr. Ikuo Chiba, both of Japan, desired Two Ton yachts for the 1990 Kenwood Cup, and Mr. Giuseppe DeGennaro of Italy and Mr. Irving Loube of the United States sought to enter the 1991 Admiral's Cup with Two Tonners.

With their considerable and successful experience in the One Ton, Fifty Foot and Maxi classes, coupled with thorough research programs, Farr Yacht Design was well equipped with the development tools to enter the new Two Ton forum.

FYD's continuing evolution of mid-size boats produced two fractionally rigged designs with similarities in concept to the successful Farr 44, LIBRAH, which placed third overall and was top boat of her size at the 1989 Admiral's Cup.

Designs 227 and 242 are slightly longer and more powerful than LIBRAH and are indicative of ongoing efforts to improve weight concentration with particular attention paid to the reduction of drag. This allows a bigger boat with no performance loss in light airs.

Construction details include carbon fiber laminates over aramid honeycomb cores resulting in light, strong and stiff structures with a central concentration of weight.

Design 227 was developed keeping two performance considerations in mind. Firstly, Mr. Sawano and Mr. Chiba focused on the August, 1990 Kenwood Cup competition, known for its windy prevailing conditions. Consequently, when compared side by side, 227 is longer and heavier than 242, with significantly greater stability and slightly less sail area.

Secondly, due to the increasing fleet numbers in classes which reward getting to the windward mark first, and the general trend towards more short races with less emphasis on reaching ability, Design 227 is optimized for superior upwind and running performance.

The Two Tonners for Mr. DeGennaro and Mr. Loube, destined for the 1991 Admiral's Cup as members of the Italian and US teams respectively, required a different approach in Design 242. Admiral's Cup conditions are known to cover a wide range of wind strengths and therefore demand all round performance capabilities in its competitors. This design therefore features a more moderate displacement, is shorter on the waterline, and has slightly more sail area than Design 227.