18ft Skiff
Encyclopedia : 1 : 18 : 18F : 18ft Skiff
-->The 18 ft Skiff is one of the fastest asymmetric skiffs in the world. Since the first races in 1892 at Sydney Harbour, Australia this formerly open design class has undergone big changes to end up in the present form. By many people the 18ft Skiff is considered as the Formula One of sailing.
History
The 18ft Skiff has come a long way in more than 100 years of continuous development. From heavy boats carrying more than a crew of ten to today's high tech light weight high performance design. A complete history of early day of skiff sailing between 1892 and 1945 is found on the [pages of the Australian 18 Footers League].
The modern 18 ft Skiff
Today there are to modern hull designs racing, the International 18 design (Based on a Ian Murray design) and the B18 design family (designed by Julian Bethwaite). While in the [Australian 18 Footer League] there is one design racing on International 18, the [European Class Association] allows both designs to compete against each others. The measurements of the two designs are very close, but still the sailing characteristics are quite different.
With an average lenth of 18 ft (5.49 m) and an average beam of between 6 and 8 feet (1.83 to 2.44 m). When the boat is dry it should weigh not less then 375 lb (170 Kg) including wings and foils (centreboard and rudder) as well as the number 1 rig of sails, spars and ropes.
The 18 ft skiff has a maximum mast height of 33 ft (10 m) which can support an unlimited sail area, which is controlled by three trapezing crew members.
In medium to heavy breezes downwind the 18 ft skiff is very fast and with extreme downwind speeds no other monohull can keep up. Other smaller craft may be left behind as this larger vessel cruises past. The 18 ft skiff forms one of the biggest fleets in Australia, especially in Sydney where it is seen racing down the harbour somtimes against the ferry.
However, the 18 ft skiff is not without is dangers. The high speed may make it hard to handle and major accidents can occur.
The 18 ft skiff is probably the fastest monohull on earth. With it's massive sail-plan and three crew members on trapeze it can outperform nearly everything on the water. It combines extreme speeds with an element of danger and is thought by many to be one of the biggest spectacles in sailing.
For this reason it is often referred to as the Queen of the Seas.
External links
- [Australian 18 Footer League]
- [European 18 Foot Skiff Class Association]
- [UK 18 Foot Skiff Class Association]
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.