16ft Skiff

A 16 ft Skiff is a class of three-person sailing dinghy with twin trapezes and a large asymmetrical spinnaker. The class is unique to Australia, where it is one of the most popular boats sailing with 95 boats registered in 12 clubs. The class has the largest fleet of high performance skiffs on the east coast of Australia. Due to the nature of only allowing two trapezes, the age of the sailors can vary between 15 and 60 years old, making it a versatile class of boat.[1]

16ft Skiff
Development
LocationAustralia
DesignHigh Performance Skiff
Boat
Crew3
Trapeze2
Hull
TypeSkiff
ConstructionCarbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer
Hull weight74 kg (163 lb)
Rig
General2
Mast length7 m (23 ft)
Sails
General3
Spinnaker area45 m2 (480 sq ft)
Gennaker area22 m2 (240 sq ft)
Total sail area67 m2 (720 sq ft)

Construction

The hull, spars and foils are all constructed out of a carbon composite reinforced polymer. Manufacturers of these hulls are generally local boat builders, however are now being sourced overseas. The total weight of the boat is no more than 85 kg fully rigged, resulting in an extremely high sail area to weight ratio.

History

The class has been around for over a century and has changed significantly since its beginnings:

1901

Class founded in Balmain

1908
Class expands to Queensland
1922
Class spreads to Western Australia
1976
Rules change to allow any material for hull
1986
Three man crew introduced
1997–98
Stick class rules were introduced

Class specifications

  • Overall length4.88 metres (16.0 ft)
  • ConstructionCarbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)
  • Min beam1.52 metres (5.0 ft)
  • Max beam1.78 metres (5.8 ft)
  • Min weight70 kilograms (154 lb)
  • Working sail area22 square metres (240 sq ft)
  • Spinnaker sail area45 square metres (480 sq ft)
  • Racing crewThree

References

  1. "Aussie Skiffs | Australian 13ft & 16ft Skiffs". Aussie Skiffs. Retrieved 2018-05-13.


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