Sail1Design is thrilled to partner with Lenam, a Spanish builder of the International 420, and to help offer these boats to sailors in the USA. Lenam has a long history of boatbuilding and a great deal of experience in the i420 class, and recently the company has made a firm commitment to build very fast, no-compromise, highest-quality, most durable International 420’s on the market. These boats have competed at top i420 events in Europe and performed extremely well. More good news; the boats are priced very competitively, which is GREAT news for this class and our sailors in the USA.
To learn more about a Lenam i420, please contact Sail1Design and we will be more than happy to chat!
LENAM i420
The 420 is the most popular double-dinghy in the world. Designed in 1961, about 60,000 boats have been built in all these years.
In Spain, the class is at a great moment. The Cup and Championship of Spain hover around 100 participants each year, there are regattas with lots of participation in all the communities and titles and international recognition is constant.
Lenam Vela Ligera, licensed for manufacture since 1998 has contributed with more than 1300 boats to the 420 class.
At Lenam we make a 420 without haste, with passion. The whole process is studied in detail.
The 420 has a strict regulation regarding the materials to be used in its manufacture. Only polyester resin is allowed, while Sandwich-type construction, which is allowed on Optimist, Europa, Snipe…, is forbidden. From these premises, the quality of the raw materials used in the construction of the 420 Lenam is maximum. The NPG isophthalic gelcoat and the isophthalic polyester resin, both with the highest H.D.T (temperature at which the gelcoat and resin can degrade), allow an elongation and elasticity of the laminated materials unequalled, enduring the harshest sailing conditions and suffering less with collisions than other boats.
The glass fibre used is the mat with powder binder, which avoids osmosis problems and offers better chemical resistance properties than other fibres of lower cost.
These materials are much more expensive than other permitted materials, but they ensure an unsurpassed quality of finish and a longer life and competitiveness of the boat over time.
It has already been mentioned mentioned that solutions to give rigidity to the hull or sandwich-type deck with P.V.C. foam are not allowed in 420. What is allowed to give consistency to the hull and deck are omega-type reinforcements to be placed according to the criteria of the shipyard. And it is at this point where the 420 Lenam has an important number of original reinforcements, which perfectly combine its minimum weight and maximum rigidity. In addition, the 420 in general for its special shape with a bulky bow, must take special care to make it light in that area, which Lenam achieves with a particular design of omegas in bow, very light and consistent, which at the same time allow it to provide the hull with a center of gravity more backward than its competitors, a fundamental aspect in short wave conditions or with weighty crews.
Once the hull and deck have been laminated, they remain in the mould for a minimum of one week, in a post-curing process at a constant temperature, in order to achieve the necessary degree of rigidity and curing that will provide the definitive dinghy with a long life at full performance.
And if the materials to be used are very limited, as we have commented in the 420 rules, on the other hand the water lines of the class allow tolerances that give a lot of game. Lenam gives a very versatile response to all wind and wave conditions. The wave conditions can be very different depending on where you are sailing. For instance, the typicall Mediterranean wave, characterized for being short, is different than the waves you can find in the Atlantic. Because of the knowledge provided by sailors and monitors, the water lines of the Lenam give a very easy navigation and maximum speed in these so diverse conditions.
The position and draft of the centreboard and rudder have also been studied to optimise navigation.
The design of the deck, the only one of all the shipyards manufacturing the 420 that is in one piece, contributes to the perfect alignment of the key elements in this section, such as stay chain, bonfire, cockpit, centreboard box and rudder hardware.
The boat is presented with the best hardware and accessories, with the cockpit as “clean” and tidy as possible. Details such as the padded belts with no water absorption, the neoprene anti-slip system for the crew, the spi bags made of water- and sun-repellent fabric… everything to give the sailor the peace of mind of knowing that he is sailing in a boat in which everything is designed to give maximum speed and comfort to the 420!
