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Sailing an OK Dinghy

Renier — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:57:29 +0000

The OK dinghy is the most sociable and less expensive dinghies that people from all walks of life can afford. The one design can be built by anybody with enough DIY skills and strong desire for a smooth finish. Today, young sailors train on OK dinghies leading to the sailing one of the most coveted regattas: the Olympic Finn.

The Men behind the OK Dinghy

After World War II when sailing was slowly becoming available to “ordinary” people, Axel Olsen acted on his vision of having another dinghy that’s cheap, practical, and full of ability for ordinary people to enjoy. Axel told his friend, Knud Olsen (no relation), about his vision and thus the birth of the one design OK dinghy. The name OK is derived from its designer’s initials written backward (Olsen, Knud).

OK Dinghy Description

The OK dinghy is a single-handed helmsman with 4 meters LOA, 1.42 meters beam, 8.50 square meters main sail, and 72 kilograms hull weight. The dinghy is sailed by men and women between 60 to 95 kilograms. Unlike other one design dinghies that have standard plan, the OK dinghy’s one design is on its set of acceptable measurements. Meaning, variations in construction is permitted as long as it follows the set of rules stipulated in the acceptable measurements.

The Challenges of Sailing Early OK Dinghy

The early years of OK dinghy sailing were off to really rough waters. Its roots in Denmark were met with opposition from regatta associations for reasons of safety. They say the dinghy’s design is prone to capsize; it’s just not safe enough for professional sailing. But the OK dinghy designers and avid fans didn’t lose heart; they press on and succeeded to syndicate the dinghy. An in the 1970s their efforts paid off when the dinghy was raced in over 40 countries. The list has grown since then.

OK Dinghy Association

The OK Dinghy Association (OKDIA) is the organization that assumes responsibility to all international OK dinghies sailing class. The association’s headquarter is in the United Kingdom. Sailors and OK dinghy regatta enthusiasts are advised to enroll as members of their local OK dinghy associations that are affiliated to OKDIA.

OK Dinghy Sailing Competitions

For a true blue OK dinghy sailor, nothing can beat the thrill and excitement of competing against fellow OK dinghy sailors from across the globe. For upcoming international events, you can check international regattas at OKDIA events logged. Before going to international dinghy regattas, though, it’s good to get a dinghy insurance to keep you covered.

Building Your Own OK Dinghy

Axel and Knud, the original designers and makers of OK dinghy, designed the boat to be the most simplistic and easy to build. They want the boat to be the most sociable in terms of cost and capabilities, and they were right.

But right now it’s your chance to build your own OK dinghy that conforms to the original set of measurements and rules of construction by the Olsen’s. Trevor Gore, an official OK dinghy authority who works closely with OKDIA came up with a simple technical manual on how you can build your own OK dinghy. If you can manage to build your OK dinghy exactly conforming to the rules of construction, you can get dinghy insurance for it.

Over 50 years ago, Axel and Knud had a vision of a simple, versatile dinghy that everyone can afford. They were right, and now the OK dinghy is sailed in international regattas as precursor to the Olympic Finn.

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Popular Quicksilver Dinghy Models

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:31:52 +0000

A Quicksilver dinghy is sassy yet brawny enough for use as a yacht tender or as a heavy duty inflatable boat transport system. Made in United Kingdom where yacht and sailing clubs are plenty, the buyers are assured of each Quicksilver dinghy standard qualifications. Unlike other less stable flat bottom inflatable dinghy, all Quicksilver dinghies have inflatable keels adding to better performance and stability on rough ocean waters. Among the top Quicksilver dinghy models is the Quicksilver Airdeck 340 that adopts well as utility boat or a luxury yacht tender.

The Quicksilver Airdeck 340

This neat-looking, European style dinghy is eye-catching when cruising on any water. Its grey, loose-parts-free body goes well with a luxury yacht – you would not ruin your yacht’s expensive looks with a grey dinghy. The long-lasting, tight-weave, heavy-duty fabric is soil resistant so that your dinghy looks good all the time without much cleaning to do on your part. Although the fabric technology used on a Quicksilver dinghy is guaranteed to last, Quicksilver still wants to show it appreciates its customers by giving a 5-year limited fabric and seam warranty to the AD 340. The dinghy can carry 5 people, and it can be fitted with a 15 horsepower, 50 kg maximum outboard motor of your choice.

Working a Quicksilver dinghy

Think of whatever you want to do with a dinghy and you wouldn’t be disappointed with your expectation. Whether you want to take a Quicksilver dinghy for an afternoon fishing, reef diving, or coves and beaches exploration, the boat will deliver what you expected of it. Whether you want to practice your rowing skills with it or speed to and from your yacht, you will be happy you chose a dinghy. And when it’s time to leave, you could just deflate and throw it to your car’s trunk or tuck it in your yacht’s storage without taking too much space.

Quicksilver dinghy features

What makes a Quicksilver dinghy unique aside from its neat look and versatility? . . . its unique features! A Quicksilver dinghy has four air chambers for safety and comfort of the passengers: one on each side, one for the keel, and another for the floor. The Mehler Haku PVC used in all Quicksilver dinghies is thermowelded and not glued making the seams as strong as the whole fabric itself. The fabric can withstand the harmful ultra violet rays, and it’s also resistant to cuts and abrasions too.

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Dinghy Racing Associations

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:31:23 +0000

Dinghy racing is organized and regulated by national level sailing associations which in turn supervised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The national level dinghy racing associations are responsible for leveling the playing field in their respective jurisdiction while the ISAF is responsible for overseeing that these associations are doing their job within the bounds of set international sailing standards. The world’s top two national level dinghy racing associations are the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the Canadian Yachting Association (CYA). Moreover, sailing clubs, provincial sailing associations, and class associations are certified by one or two national level sailing association.

The International Sailing Federation

Photo from http://www.sailing.org

Upon its conception in October 1907 in Paris, ISAF was called International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) then. The pioneering members’ aim then was to set uniform rules and racing yardstick to govern all international sailing competitions. This is so to avoid the confusion about which sailing club rules and regulations to apply during interclub racing, which dinghy racing is one of the pioneer events. On August 1996, the IYRU adopted a new name, the International Sailing Federation, which came to symbolize everything about sailing including the Summer Olympics Sailing Competition.

The Royal Yachting Association

Photo from http://media.skandiateamgbr.com

The Royal Yachting Association was founded in November, 1875 with its original name, the Yacht Racing Association. Its original goal is to come up with a correction standard to level the playing field when different boats are in the competition. This set of rules later became the Portsmouth yardstick, which is the correction standard used internationally today. In 1953, the organization changed its name to Royal Yachting Association. Today, RYA is active in helping and certifying affiliated clubs and class associations to make them better at holding sailing races including dinghy racing.

The Canadian Yachting Association

Photo from http://www.sailing.org

The Canadian Yachting Association the national government of Canada’s official body that governs the country’s sailing sport from dinghy racing to multihulled sailboats. Established in 1931, today the CYA oversees provincial sailing associations, member clubs, schools, and independent sailing competitions throughout Canada. The CYA is active in educating and certifying its member clubs and associations to become better trainer and race officiators themselves. And in a country where dinghy racing is a big sports event, the CYA makes sure that its member clubs and associations are congruent with the ISAF’s dinghy racing rules and regulations. Canada today is also one of the premier destinations for budding sailors who want to hone their skills in the art of sailing.

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Avon: World Renowned Dinghy Manufacturer

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:29:36 +0000

Because Avon is the world’s number one dinghy manufacturer, the brand has become synonymous to inflatable or RIB boats around the world. Wherever you are, you’re almost certain to find a dinghy fan who owns one or two Avon dinghy model. The company is always a pioneer when it comes to new and worthwhile dinghy technologies, and it’s leading the way in dinghy design, performance, and extreme quality. Avon has a line of performance tender RIBs, action RIBs, and tender Boats that are the favorite among yacht owners and dinghy boat adventurers around the world.

Avon performance tender RIBs

Unlike other dinghy manufacturer, Avon has three lines of dinghies to choose from to meet your demands even if it calls for exhilarating speed with an inflatable dinghy. In Avon’s performance tender RIBs, your choice is between Seasport De Luxe and Seasport Jet, but rest assured whatever you pick, it’s going to satisfy your need for speed. The Seasport Jet for example is fitted with a supercharged 4-stroke 98 horsepower outboard fit for water skiing or just simply slicing through the water. All Avon performance tender RIBs are well upholstered, with bow step, navigational and deck lighting. And the white dinghy color adds elegance to your luxury yacht too.

Avon action RIBs

The Avon action RIBs have two design variants for you: the Adventure and the Adventure Open. The adventure comes in white fabric, which is just a classic sight to behold for a dinghy. It has stylish stainless steel console, upholstered seats, bow locker, and white-leather-covered steering. The Adventure Open on the other hand comes in blue fabric. But the best part about this variant is that you can customize it! You can design the deck layout, the navigation and the steering and even the seat configuration of your Adventure Open. This dinghy manufacturer really thought out of the box to include you in the design of your boat.

Avon Tender Dinghies

Avon has also perfected its range of Tender boats offering anything from lightweight to wide bodied dinghies. The dinghy manufacturer is thoughtful enough to include spray protection in all its Tender boats so that your things, and your hair, ladies, are safe from the seawater no matter how your driver speeds up with an Avon Tender boat. Of course the signature upholstery and clean cut, classic-white design is still present in all Avon Tender boat models to complement even the most expensive yacht money can buy.

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Lark Dinghy Information

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:28:38 +0000

A Lark dinghy is a double-hand, lightweight, one-design class dinghy designed by Michael Jackson (not the singer) for a dinghy sailing junkie. The Lark dinghy association is active in organizing social events and sailing competitions, and it’s active in perpetuating the class through restoration of old Larks to functional quality. Larks are mainly designed for double-handed sailing without a trapeze, and it can hold a crew of 18 to 28 stones.

Lark dinghy composite material and specifications

All Lark dinghies are made of glass reinforced plastic (GRP), which makes the boat very light at the same very sturdy for heavy duty double-handed sailing. The standard specifications of a Lark dinghy are the following:

Length: 4.07 meters
Beam: 1.65 meter
Portsmouth Yardstick: 1,073
Hull weight: 95 kilograms
Trapeze: nil
Spinnaker: Symmetric
Spinnaker area: 7.4 square meters
Sail Area: 9.75 square meters

There’s a wide choice for foils and sails for a Lark dinghy, which are all within bounds of the accepted standard.

Sailing with a Lark dinghy

In the United States, Larks are a famous sailing dinghy in the east coast universities such as Tufts and Bowdoin. In fact, Tufts University’s Lark dinghy sailing team is very active in preserving the boat taking the repair and restoration of old Larks in by own hands. However, the speed of a Lark due to its lightweight and relatively large sail and spinnaker is contributing to its loosing popularity too. Serious collisions happen often with a Lark and the boat is said to take on water faster than other double-handed sailing dinghy according to some sailors.

Lark dinghy makers

Today, there are only four certified Lark dinghy makers: the original Lark maker, Bakers, G.W., Parkers, Rondar Raceboats, and Ovington Boats. Leading among these makers is the Ovington Boats where you can order light blue, dark red, pink, and grey Lark dinghy. If you need your Lark to be in other colors, be ready to pitch in more money. If you’re the type of sailor who wants to have a hand in making your sailboat, you can also order a blank hull from Ovington, which you can complete yourself.

Buying a second-hand Lark dinghy

Although Larks are pretty easy to restore if you have the right acumen, it still pays to inspect well a second-hand Lark before signing the check. Check the gunnels for damage; know that the gunnels are the first to give way in all Larks so that it’s best to buy second hand Larks without gunnels damage. The other parts to check are the spars, sails, foils, hull, and the floor itself.

Photos courtesy of http://www.larkclass.org/

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The Unpretentious Mirror Dinghy

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:26:44 +0000

The Mirror dinghy is a family favorite for sailing, rowing, and cruising, and it’s a pro sailors’ favorite for racing or training on a classic. The boat was designed by Barry Bucknell and Jack Holt in 1960, and there has been 70,000 Mirror dinghies made since then, a testimony to the boat’s success. For DIY-skilled boat aficionados, a Mirror dinghy is one of the easy classes to build in a garage. And for those who can’t tell the difference between a saw and a set square, there are for sale Mirror dinghies ready to sail made from wood or glass reinforced plastic.

Mirror dinghy construction kit

The original construction materials of a Mirror dinghy are marine plywood, copper wire, and fiber glass tape. If you want to construct your own dinghy today, you can only do so by buying a supplied kit from a licensed manufacturer like the Mirror Sailing Development in order to safeguard the original class design of the boat. To make the building process exhilarating for you, prepare tools like power saws, power sanders, and clamps – lots of clamps. And with some DIY skills, the building instruction manual that comes with the kit, and some patience, you’ll see your Mirror dinghy come into shape in virtually no time.

Sailing a Mirror dinghy

A Mirror dinghy can be sailed by a single helmsman or woman because the boat is simple to use and quick to launch even with by one person. In fact, if you’re bold and ingenious enough to create a boom awning, you can even dose off a little bit while sailing a Mirror across short routes. A historic event involving a Mirror dinghy was when the Australian teacher, A.J. Machinnon, sailed and rowed over three thousand miles from River Severn to Thames and across the English Channel to Calais. How’s that for record!

The versatility of a Mirror dinghy

Although lightweight, the Mirror dinghy is one of the most versatile and stable dinghy in service fit for family use. The boat can be sailed even by a child or it can be fitted with an outboard motor just fine. It can take a full family of four and can be cruised across shallow waters by retracting the centerboard. Because it’s lightweight, weighing only 45.5 kilograms or 100 pounds, you can row a Mirror for an afternoon fun on a weekend also. The boat is really perfect for fishing, rowing, sailing, and the Mirror dinghy class association even holds racing with this classic dinghy design.

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The RYA Dinghy Show

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:25:51 +0000

The RYA is the only dinghy show participated by over 250 exhibitors, the crème de le crème in dinghy sailing, and thousands of dinghy enthusiasts from around the world. The show has been sponsored by the top car maker, Volvo, since 2000, and together with Suzuki, expect another spectacular dinghy show this March 6-7, 2010 in Alexandra Palace, London. The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show is a good venue to visit whether you’re a dinghy sailing newbie or a celebrated dinghy sailor. The show is fit for the whole family as there are lots of activity to do for the kids and the parents aside from feasting with your eyes different dinghy classes from around the world.

Up close and personal with different dinghies

If you’re planning to buy a dinghy but are confused with the wide class choices available, the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show is a good place to start looking. This year, more than 250 dinghy manufacturers are participating in the event so expect to see almost all dinghy classes up close come March. And if you want to up it up one knot, you can even try the dinghy and get a feel of how it’s like to sail it; however, you have to contend with it on a raised platform in the event venue. The dinghy manufacturer will also be there to answer all your questions and introduce personally their dinghy to you.

Soak up all dinghy information

One of the best parts about coming to the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show is to pick up tips and lessons for learning dinghy sailing from the crème de la crème in dinghy sailing. What could be better than hearing useful dinghy tidbits from Olympic gold medalists and other dinghy regatta champions face to face? That’s why it’s helpful to keep a note about the questions you want to ask from the champions because this opportunity comes only two days in a year.

Fun for the whole family

The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show is not just fun for the daddies; there are a lot in store for the children as well. There’s a treasure hunt where fabulous prizes awaits the winning tot at the finish line – who knows your boy will go home with a replica of his favorite sailing dinghy plus some prize money to spare. And there are also virtual dinghy sailing games to be had in the event that even you couldn’t resist trying. All these plus more awaits the whole family during this year’s RYA Volvo Dinghy Show in Alexandra Palace in London come March.

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Dinghy Rudder Tips

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:26:25 +0000

Although small, the rudder plays an important function in a dinghy, and its design is enough to make the difference between a pleasurable and a horrible sailing. Also, a dinghy rudder is one of the most damage-prone parts of a dinghy so that you need to know which dinghy rudder is best for replacement. For the uninitiated, a dinghy rudder is responsible for banking the dinghy starboard or port during sailing. And since a large part of the rudder is submerge deeper into the water than the hull, it’s very prone for beaching damages.

The best dinghy rudder design

If you ask a dinghy sailing pro about his or her personal dinghy rudder design choice, you’d almost get a unanimous answer: kick-up rudder. A kick-up dinghy rudder allows a sailor to focus on the competition without thinking so much about hitting the rudder hard to a kelp or beaching it on shallow waters. This is because a kick-up rudder springs up when it hits something in the water at top speeds thereby saving the rudder from serious damage. The mechanism is especially helpful when sailing on unfamiliar water where a sandbar or a kelp forest lurks to damage your rudder.

Dotan Kick-up dinghy rudder

An example of a great kick-up dinghy rudder is one made by Dotan; the maker incorporates the kick-up mechanism to its innovative up- or down-and-lock rudder design. Dotan’s rudder design eliminates the need for rope or elastic band driven rudder that causes too much trouble when jammed. With its dinghy rudder, pulling up and setting down the rudder is as easy as a flick of a wrist. Example, to raise the rudder, you just raise the tiller up and when you set it down the rudder locks in place horizontal to the tiller. Repeat the same 1-2 action to set the dinghy rudder back down. Dotan offer rudders fit for 21-foot monohulls, catamarans, and even to small dinghies such as an Optimist.

Common kick-up rudder problems

The two most common kick-up dinghy rudder problems are the following: a.) rudder that’s hard to creep up and b.) rudder that springs up without tension. The first problem is common in poorly maintain or old kick-up rudder where deposits accumulate in the hinge preventing the rudder from kicking up. The second problem is present in poorly manufactured kickp-up dinghy rudder in which the hinge give way even without enough tension applied. Sometimes this may be remedied by changing the hinge, but often times you may need to replace the rudder.

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Optimist Dinghy: Where Champion Sailors Are Made

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:24:18 +0000

For most champion sailors, an Optimist dinghy is known as a friend who taught them sailing at a very young age. The Optimist is the only sailing dinghy recognized by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as an international sail boat for youngsters below 16 years old. As of date, the dinghy is sailed in over 110 countries and has thrilled over 150,000 young skippers some of whom became Olympians in their own right. So if you’re a doting parent helping a son or a daughter who shows passion for sailing, the Optimist dinghy is the only choice there is – ask most celebrated regatta sailors where they train as a child.

Optimist dinghy specifications

Clark Mills from Clearwater, Florida designed the Optimist to be the trainer of champion skippers at a very young age. It’s a one-design, single hand, flat bottomed, hard-chine, pram dinghy with dimension of 2.31 meters long and 1.13 meters wide weighing 35 kilograms. Earlier versions of Optimists are made of wood, but a lot of Optimist dinghies today are made of glass reinforced plastic. The sail is sprit-rigged, very easy to mount, and even easier to control even for 8-year-olds. The relatively wide and deep cockpit adds comfort and safety to the promising young sailor onboard for a full afternoon of fun at sea.

Who can sail an Optimist dinghy

Following the rules set by ISAF, an Optimist dinghy can only be sailed – let alone raced – by youngsters below 16 years old. Meaning, the only determinant left is how early your child can start sailing, and this is even relative. Some say that 8 is just the right age to start training on a dinghy, but other more daring parents and children say as long as they can paddle, they can start with the Optimist. But, really, for the parents, let your child determine his or her level of comfort when it comes to sailing regardless of what dinghy class it is.

As statistics breakdown, 41% of young Optimist sailors today have ages between 13.5 and 14.5 years old, 38% belong to 14.5-15.5 age bracket, 16% are within 12.5-13.5, and only 5% are below 12.5 years old.

Optimist dinghy associations

In the U.S., the biggest Optimist dinghy association is the International Optimist Dinghy Association, and in the U.K., it’s the International Optimist Class Association. The two associations train, organize events, and promote everything about the Optimist; your child will surely develop his or her love of sailing with their help. If you don’t live in U.S. or U.K., visit the local sailing club in your area, because if they have program for young sailors, the dinghy of choice is the Optimist 99% of the time.

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One-design, Skiffs Racing Dinghies

Renier — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:23:21 +0000

Among the ultimate speed and performance racing dinghies, the Skiffs are leading the fleet. All Skiffs are very agile, sleek, and blazing on the water; however, they’re not the easiest to sail among racing dinghies. Only advance sailors can rein the power of a skiff, but when they do, the dinghy gives due credit by letting them experience the best sailing fun possible from a small boat. Among the top favorite sailing skiffs include the Flying Eleven, 49er, and the New Zealand/Australia Javelin Skiff. Whichever Skiff you choose is an assurance of speed and racing pinnacle on any waters.

The Flying Eleven Skiff

The Flying Eleven (F11) Skiff is popular around Australia, although its popularity is slowly reaching other countries, designed for 12- to 18-year-olds. It’s a one-design, double-handed Skiff perfect with combined crew weight between 75 kg and 115 kg. The F11 is the next racing dinghy for budding sailors graduating from single sail or more junior classes racing dinghies. The tree-sail F11 is perfect for preparing them for even higher performances skiffs such as Musto Performance and the 29ers. It is 3.35 meters in length and 1.40 meters in width weighing 55 kilograms when rigged.

The 49er Skiff

The 49er Skiff is a one-design, double-handed, high performance, Olympic Class racing dinghy full of character able to pack a punch to an unsuspecting sailor. It’s one of few racing dinghies that have big – at times difficult – sail areas, but for the deserving skipper, the 49er can be one of the best racing dinghies there is. The 49er Skiff design was modified to perfection by Julian Bethwaite, and it debuted in Sydney Olympics in 200 and has becoming very popular since then. The 49er’s length is 4.99 meters, and its weight is 94 kilograms with the hull constructed from epoxy foam sandwich. The total sail area is a whopping 15 square meters, jib 6.2 meters, and spinnaker 38 square meters.

The New Zealand/Australia Javelin Skiff

The Javelin Skiff belongs to big racing dinghies, which originated from U.S. and spread through New Zealand and Australia. Although the hull weighs 70 kilograms, the Javelin is able to reach top speeds of 20 knots, and the challenge that the boat’s sail can deliver makes the NZ/Au Javelin not suitable for a family dinghy. The Javelin is a development dinghy raced with one National championship a year in New Zealand competing for the prestigious Sanders Memorial Cup.

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