16ft Skiff
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008) |
| This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (August 2008) |
A 16ft skiff is a class of three-person sailing dinghy with a twin trapeze and a large asymmetric spinnaker. The class is unique to Australia, where it is one of the most popular boats sailing with 135 boats registered in 12 clubs.[citation needed]
[edit] History
The class has been around for over a century and has changed significantly since its beginnings:
- 1901 class founded in Balmain
- 1908 class expands to Queensland
- 1922 class spreads to Western Australia
- 1976 rules change to allow any material for hull
- 1986 three man crew introduced
- 1997-98 stick class rules were introduced
[edit] Class specifications
Overall length—4.88 metres (16.0 ft)
Min beam—1.52 metres (5.0 ft)
Max beam—1.78 metres (5.8 ft)
Min weight—70 kilograms (154 lb)
Working sail area—22 square metres (240 sq ft)
Spinnaker sail area—45 square metres (480 sq ft)
Racing crew—Three

