Fireball (dinghy)

Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIR : Fireball (dinghy)

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Specifications Under Current Rules
Number of crew 2 (Single Trapeze) LOA 4938mm 16ft 2in Beam 1371mm 4ft 6in Mast Height above hull 7626mm 25ft Hull weight (with fittings) 80kg 175lbs Sail Area of total of Jib 35sq.ft Sail Area of total of Main 88sq.ft Sail Area Spinnaker 140sq.ft

Originally designed by Peter Milne in 1962, the Fireball is a one-design high-performance sailing dinghy. The Fireball is sailed by a crew of two, sports a single trapeze, symmetric spinnaker and chined hull. The class is stricty controlled, but has adapted to advances in building techniques. All Fireballs must have positive buoyancy, and the hulls (plywood, FRP or composite) have a strict weight limit of 175 lb (79 kg) (with correctors).

The Fireball is a highly competitive dinghy, with large fleets worldwide and state, national, continental and world championships held annually. Competitors of all ages (from high school students to great grandfathers) help make this class enjoyable for everyone. The performance of the boat is very dependent on tuning, as the Fireball's rig can be adjusted in numerous ways. This makes the boat very controllable and enjoyable in winds up to and over 35 kt (65 km/h), while maintaining the speed and excitement of planing in as little as 8 kt (15 km/h).

The latest Fireball Worlds were held off Teignmouth in south devon, England, from the 6-19 August 2005. The 2006 Worlds will be held in Victoria, Canada in May.

External links

• [Fireball-International.com] Fireball Class website
• [link] Fireball worlds website