The iFLY15 One Design & iFLY RAZZOR Pro The iFLY is a next-generation all-carbon foiling catamaran that excites both experienced catamaran sailors and newcomers alike. Developed in 2015 from the outset as a foiling catamaran, no compromises had to be made to retrofit an existing non-foiling boat and adhere to displacement class box rules. The … Read More
The Johnstones have been a fixture in the sailing industry ever since the first J/24 came out of Rod’s garage in 1977. Since then, J-Boats has produced boats of every imaginable length and price point. While the venerable J/24 is the signature product of the company, two other boats in the mid-20’ range have risen … Read More
In sailboat racing, there are several categories; handicap, one-design and development. Handicap allows for boats of different designs to compete against each other using a rating system to calculate final times. One-design racing uses boats of nearly identical design and configuration, and development uses a formula or box rule of different design rules to contain … Read More
Not Your Average Weekend Warrior: A look at the Javelin Skiff By Airwaves writer Sara Morgan Watters The Javelin Skiff is not your average double handed dinghy. At 14 feet this high performance, single trapeze skiff is far from a boat that will get you out on the water for some casual weekend racing. Expect … Read More
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin The past couple decades has seen rapid growth in the numbers of athletes participating in college sailing. In that time the level of sailing has increased exponentially. It could be argued that ICSA Team Race Nationals is the most competitive event in North America on an annual basis. The numbers … Read More
By Airwaves writer Eric Tobias Your sailing season doesn’t have to end just because it’s getting cold outside. In fact, for many racers, when December comes around the season is just getting started. We’ve all seen the AC 72s sail at over 40 knots. Now imagine the extreme exhilaration of sailing faster than that, laying … Read More
By Airwaves Writer Tyler Colvin In 1956, the International Yacht Racing Union (now the International Sailing Federation, ISAF) created a four-tiered developmental catamaran system with the categories as A-D. It was an attempt to split up the high performance catamaran world into classes and limited very little about each class. In the beginning, only length, … Read More
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin If any one-design class has a cult following, it would be the Etchells. The boat was designed in the mid 1960s by Skip Etchells as a candidate to be the three-man Olympic keelboat. Despite dominance in the trials, the Etchells lost out to the Soling, but gained a dedicated group … Read More
Youth sailing traditionally has been in dinghies designed 60 years ago with very few updates or improvements. The 29er changed all that when it was introduced in 1998 by acclaimed naval architect Julian Bethwaite. A high performance skiff aimed at young sailors, the 29er represents the future of the sport. The Boat: The Next Big … Read More
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin Hand building boats is an art overlooked by many. Many of today’s sailing dinghies were originally hand crafted in garages, barns and basements before they hit high volume assembly lines. The Lido 14 is no exception. Originally built by legendary boat builder Bill Schock, the Lido 14 came to life … Read More
Club FJ (Flying Junior): Youth Trainer Extraordinaire, by Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin Recognizable to many youth sailors who grew up on lakes, ponds, or on the west coast, the Club Flying Junior (CFJ) is often used instead of C420s in youth sailing and collegiate programs. Originating in the mid 20th century in the Netherlands, it … Read More
By Airwaves writer John Storck Recently, I had the opportunity to take the new Zim 15 out for a test sail. The whole experience was pretty cool, as the Zim team assembled sailors, boat designers, and sail makers at their “super secret test site” for a great afternoon. Post by Chuck Allen. When we arrived … Read More
420 Class: Club Versus Collegiate By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin As one of the most highly utilized youth training boats in North America, the 420 was designed in the mid 20th century as a stepping stone for the Olympic 470 class (www.usi420.org). Since its introduction into the youth sailing community, two popular variations on the … Read More