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]
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Location | Australia |
| Design | High Performance Skiff |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 3 |
| Trapeze | 2 |
| Hull | |
| Type | Skiff |
| Construction | Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer |
| Hull weight | 74 kg (163 lb) |
| LOA | 16 ft (4.9 m)  |
| Rig | |
| General | 2 |
| Mast length | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Sails | |
| General | 3 |
| Spinnaker area | 45 m2 (480 sq ft) |
| Upwind sail area | 22 m2 (240 sq ft) |
| Total sail area | 67 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 length—4.88 metres (16.0 ft)
- Construction—Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)
- Min beam—1.52 metres (5.0 ft)
- Max beam—1.78 metres (5.8 ft)
- Min weight—70 kilograms (154 lb)
- Working sail area—22 square metres (240 sq ft)
- Spinnaker sail area—45 square metres (480 sq ft)
- Racing crew—Three