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E Scow

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The E-Scow is the younger sister of the A-Scow. Its rigging is similar, as well, and their hull shapes are almost identical. The boat is competitively sailed in Minnesota and Wisconsin and recently in many more states around the country, including Michigan, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina and Colorado. Only recently has E-Scow class spread to Europe. There are boats at least in Switzerland, France and Finland. Unlike the A-Scow, the E-Scow has a symmetrical spinnaker. The National Class E Scow Association (NCESA) tested an asymmetrical spinnaker option as a potential change to the design scantlings for two years. The asymmetrical spinnaker was voted down by the class in 2006, but it seems that new vote is around the corner with slightly modified rig and more restricted spinnaker shape.

escowphoto

Class Site: http://www.e-scow.org/

Formula 18

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A high performance import this class has one of the most exciting and fastest growing catamaran one-design racing fleets in the world. The F-18 is raced with a crew of two and a spinnaker for down-wind performance. It’s fittings, hull design and sail shape are the results of the latest developments in sailing technology. A strict “box measurement” allows manufacturers to develop catamarans so that they are price competitive, but at the same time give them the freedom to continually develop higher levels of performance. To sum up, weights allow better and fairer racing between crews, with more ladies getting involved, both as crews and helms. The number of manufacturers keeps sailing costs to the minimum, and the ability to buy spares and sails from any manufacturer, as long as they measure, also keeps costs down.

Length: 18′
Beam: 8′ 6″
Mast Length: 29′ 6″
Main Sail Area: 183 Sq. Ft.
Jib Sail Area: 44 Sq. Ft.
Spinnaker Sail Area: 225 Sq. Ft.
Weight (with spinnaker): 397 lbs.
Hull Construction: Fiberglass/Foam Sandwich

 

Class Association: https://www.f18-international.org

Fireball

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The International Fireball was designed to meet a need –  to the bridge the gap between the small “family” centre boarders and the larger more expensive classes. The designer, Peter Milne, an Englishman, had these motives: cheapness, simplicity to build, unequalled performance potential, price and waterline length, individual appearance.

He achieved his aims in 1962 when the fireball was first sailed in England. The remarkable performance of his prototype was seen especially on the plane and to windward. Without any sponsorship the class grew very rapidly, first in the UK and then on the Continent (France, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany especially), in the USA, South and East Africa, Canada, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Within a very short time the need for worldwide administration became apparent and “Fireball International” had to be formed. To this body the newly formed National Associations affiliated. A constitution and detailed class rules were adopted.

The first World Championships were held in England in 1966. In 1968 the spinnaker was internationally adopted. The class was recommended by OYRU for International status and was approved in 1970. The class has been a close contender for Olympic selection. It has established a world wide reputation for its high standards of yachting administration and progressive enthusiasm.

For More Information:

https://www.fireball-international.com

San Juan 21

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The Beginning!

In 1971, the San Juan 21 Class Association was formed in Seattle, Washington. The boat itself is a product of the Seattle-based Clark Boat Company, operated by Bob and Carole Clark and sons.

In the late 60s, it became apparent to the Clarks that there was a niche in the boat market for a lightweight, trailer-based design that could be daysailed and used as a week-end cruiser. They decide to design a boat superior to others in this niche, the San Juan 21. This boat featured a bigger V-berth, an easily stepped righ, and a fully retractable swing keel and kickup rudder. In 1971, the Mark I model was produced in Seattle and an additional facility in New Bern, North Carolina. By 1974, the Mark II model was put into production and more than 2,700 San Juan 21s were subsequently produced by the late 1980s.

The Present

Today, the National Association is one of the most active one-design keelboat associations in North America. Membership in the association numbers 400+ sailors from all parts of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Association boasts fleets organized into three regions, East, Midwest and West with the largest membership concentration in the northwest and southeast portions of the country. National championship regattas are held annually in the East and West regions and a North American Championship is held every third year at a site in the Midwest region.

San Juan 21s are available today with prices for used boats ranging from $3,000.00 to $5,000.00. Boat parts can be obtained on the east coast from Fred Rehm Sailboats, 1900 North Lane, Camden, SC 29020; and on the west coast from Port Garden Sailboats at 2241 Franklin Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. The west coast dealer also has plans to produce San Juan 21s on a order basis.

Class website:
http://www.sanjuan21.net/national/

SB20 (Laser- SB3)

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The SB20 is a one-design class of sailboat commonly used for racing. Marketed and distributed by Sportsboat World the boat was designed by Tony Castro and launched in 2002.
The SB20 was originally called the Laser SB3, and was marketed and distributed by Laser Performance under licence from the designer. This licence ended in 2012.
The yacht is an open keelboat and is designed for racing with a crew of 3 whose maximum weight must not exceed 270 kg. With a high aspect ratio keel with a very high ballast ratio the yacht is very stable, but also quite fast due to the substantial sail area. The SB20 is unique in that it does not allow hiking, using a small stainless steel bar to prevent hiking by the crew, this allows competitive crews of all shapes, sizes and ages.
The majority of boats are located in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Singapore and Italy and the Class has attracted considerable support. There is a growing fleet in the UAE. In 2005 the SB20 became the second largest One-design fleet at theCowes Week regatta with 66 entries. In 2006 it became the largest fleet with 89 entries pushing the XOD into second place, an accolade it held for two further years.
There are over 600 boats worldwide, sailed in over 20 countries. Growth in fleets internationally enabled the class to successfully apply to ISAF for the right to host a world championship, the first of which was hosted in Dublin during 2008.
Class website:
http://www.sb20class.com/

Optimist

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The international Optimist’s tag line “How the worlds junior sailors learn to sail” gives you an idea of the class right away. With hundreds of thousands of boats worldwide, and hundreds of active fleets, especially in youth programs throughout the country, it is hard to argue that the Optimist isn’t the most popular one-design boat going.
The boat is really an ideal training platform; simple, stable, easy to rig and transport. Best of all, there are fleets and regattas virtually wherever there is water and a sailing program.
The Optimist was designed in 1947 by American Clark Mills at the request of the Clearwater Florida Optimist service club following a proposal by Major Clifford McKay to offer low-cost sailing for young people. He designed a simple pram that could be built from three sheets of plywood, and donated the plan to the Optimists. The design was slightly modified and introduced to Europe by the Dane, Axel Damgaard, and spread outwards across Europe from Scandinavia. The design was standardized in 1960 and became a strictOne-Design in 1995.
The Optimist is sailed in over 120 countries and it is one of only two yachts approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors under 16. At the London Olympics, 80% of all boat skippers were former dinghy sailors, most of them having reached international level in the Class.
Optimists are used for beginners, but most sailors continue to race them up to 13 or 14 years of age. The age limit is 15. Very small children are sometimes “doubled up” but usually the boats are single-handers. In this mode children gain confidence and improved skills: “The small boats train the champs”. Many sailing schools and yacht clubs own a number of them and they are the first boat most beginners will sail.
The Optimist is the biggest youth racing class in the world. As well as the annual world championship the class also has six continental championships, attended by a total of over 850 sailors a year. Many of the top world Optimist sailors immediately become world-classLaser Radial or 4.7 sailors after they “age-out” but many also excel in double-handers such as the 420 and 29er.
Optimists provide real international competition because they are manufactured to the same specification by dozens of builders.
The first World Championships were held in Great Britain in 1962, and they have since been arranged annually. For the first 20 years, the class was dominated by sailors from the Scandinavian countries, with 13 world champions. In the 1990s Argentina was by far the dominant country but since the turn of the millennium there has been no single dominant country, with the 33 medallists coming from 20 countries on five continents.
loa 7’7”
beam 3’7”
sail area 35 ft²
spinnaker area n/a
hull weight 77 lbs.
crew 1
# of boats built
active US fleets New England, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY
For more information please visit this class associations website:   http://www.optiworld.org/
http://www.usoda.org/
Read Emma White’s article on the Opti!
https://www.sail1design.com/airwaves-sailing-news/one-design-classes/1223-optimist-dinghy

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