NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Bermuda Fitted Dinghy

The 'Bermuda Fitted Dinghy' is a type of racing-dedicated sail boat used for competitions between the yacht clubs of Bermuda. Although the class has only existed for about 130 years, the boats are a continuance of a tradition of boat and ship design in Bermuda that stretches back to the earliest decades of the 17th Century. In sailing, a bermuda rig is: A rig of mainsail or course that consists of a triangular sail set aft of the mast, with its head raised to the top of the mast, its luff running down the mast and normally attached to it for all its length, its tack... The Bermuda sloop is a type of sailing vessel developed on the island of Bermuda in the 17th century. ... A modern yacht A yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ...

Bermuda Rig

The Bermuda rig, also known as a Marconi rig, refers to a configuration of mast and rigging with a triangular sail set aft of the mast with its head raised to the top of the mast. Its luff runs down the mast and is normally attached to the mast for its entire length. The sail's tack is attached at the base of the mast; its foot controlled by a boom; and its clew attached to the aft end of the boom, which is controlled by its sheet. In many early Bermudian vessels there were no booms, or only the outward corner of the mainsail might be attached to the boom, as is the case with Bermuda Fitted Dinghies. On traditional Bermudian designs, the mast was raked, and a long bowsprit was fitted, to which more than one jib might be fastened. This rig evolved on boats and small ships built in Bermuda throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries, and had matured into its more or less modern form by the early 19th Century. Although the rig became almost universally used on yachts and small boats during 20th Century, the traditional designs used in Bermuda were too demanding to sail for small or inexperienced crews, and few vessels outside of a museum, other than Bermuda Fitted Dinghies, are found today with the pure form of the rig that had been traditional in Bermuda. The development of the rig is thought to have begun with fore-and-aft rigged boats built by a Dutch-born Bermudian in the 17th Century. The Dutch were influenced by Moorish lateen rigs introduced during Spain's rule of their country. The Dutch eventually modified the design by omitting the masts, with the yard arms of the lateens being stepped in thwarts. By this process, the yards became raked masts. Lateen sails mounted this way were known as leg-of-mutton sails in English. The Dutch called a vessel rigged in this manner a bezaan jacht. Captain John Smith reported that Captain Nathaniel Butler, governor of Bermuda from 1619 to 1622, employed the Dutch boat builder, who quickly established a leading position among Bermuda's boat makers obliging his competitors to emulate his designs. A poem published by John H. Hardie in 1671 described Bermuda's boats such: With tripple corner'd Sayls they always float, About the Islands, in the world there are, None in all points that may with them compare. In sailing, a bermuda rig is: A rig of mainsail or course that consists of a triangular sail set aft of the mast, with its head raised to the top of the mast, its luff running down the mast and normally attached to it for all its length, its tack... In sailing, a bermuda rig is: A rig of mainsail or course that consists of a triangular sail set aft of the mast, with its head raised to the top of the mast, its luff running down the mast and normally attached to it for all its length, its tack... A lateen (from Latin) is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, and running in a fore-and-aft direction. ... John Smith (1580-1631) was an English soldier, sailor, and author. ...

Advent of Sail Racing in Bermuda

With the build up of the Royal Naval Dockyard on Ireland Island, at the West End, and of the Army garrison, at first in the East End, at St. George's, though the military headquarters eventually moved to Prospect Camp at the centre of the colony, the idle navy and army officers, most ex-Public School boys, introduced a number of team sports to the colony. The best known of these were football, cricket, and rugby. At English schools and colleges, however, many had also competed in rowing, and an attempt was made to introduce this sport to Bermuda, also. The rough, wind-driven Atlantic proved unsuitable, however, and the officers soon took to employing the local work boats for sail racing. These large sloops, with their crews, were hired for weekends, and sloop racing became very popular in Bermuda throughout the century. In time, sloops were designed and built specifically for racing, though they still relied on large, hired crews. The military officers were the driving force behind the creation of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC), in 1844, and, as with cricket, the sport developed an East End versus West End dynamic, resulting from the polar locations of the two headquarters. Storehouse Building, HMD Bermuda, Ireland Island, Bermuda. ... The term public school has different (and in some cases contradictory) meanings due to regional differences. ...

Introduction of Dinghy Racing

By 1880, however, there was great concern that the need for professional crews in sloop racing was making the sport too expensive, and that its development was stagnating, as a direct result. Dinghy racing was developed as a cheaper alternative. When the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy first appeared is uncertain, but the design is scaled down from the earlier sloops, rather than appearing to be an evolution of the dinghies and small boats previously used for more mundane purposes. The first race was held on the 26 August, 1880. A number of types of smaller boats were raced in different classes. The dinghies were restricted to amateur crews. In 1882, the Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Association was formed, holding its first races on the 28th July. This association ultimately becams the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. In 1883, HRH Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, visited Bermuda, and she donated a trophy which was awarded to the winner of a dinghy race held on the 8 March, which was restricted to boats both owned and steered by club members. A purse race was held after, which was open to all amateurs. Dinghies for this race were restricted to hulls of 12 feet of keel, and 14 feet, 1 inch overall. The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louise Caroline Alberta), (18 March 1848 - 3 December 1939) was a member of the British Royal Family. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ...

The Bermuda Fitted Dinghy

These dimensions have remained consistent since. Despite the small hulls, however, the dinghy's carried substantial rigging. Although square topsails were reportedly in use in the 1880s, the form used today soon developed, basically scaled down from the larger sloops. One early example, the Reckless, was fitted with a 28 foot mast, 28 foot boom, 14 foot bowsprit, and 20 foot spinnaker boom. She carried 70 square yards of canvas going upwind, while the spinnaker increased this to 92 square yards running downwind.

Racing

The dinhy racing, today, is an inter-club activity, fought between the RBYC, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC), the St. George's Yacht Club. Wheras most of the professional crews of the earlier sloop racing, which has since died-out, were probably Black, the restriction of dinghy racing to these clubs, with their membership historically restricted to whites, means that Bermuda Fitted Dinghy racing has maintained an exclusive, all-White reputation in Bermuda. There has been suggestion that the mostly-Black East End Mini-Yacht Club might be invited to participate, but this has not yet occured, and the relative lack of affluence will likely continue to keep Black sailors out of the sport. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (952x653, 570 KB)A selection of Bermudian Sterling and dollar banknotes. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (952x653, 570 KB)A selection of Bermudian Sterling and dollar banknotes. ...

The racing is carried out on set dates in Hamilton or St. George's Harbours. The dinghies sail twice to windward and once to leeward, over a 1.5 mile course, although specific races may involve more legs (always with more to windward). The boats, despite their small sizes, are each crewed by six men, necessary to handle the large eareas of sail, and also to continually bail the dinghies, which have very low freeboard, and which are often capsized by powerful gusts. On final legs, excess crew men are said to throw themselves astern, imparting a little extra speed to their boat, while lowering its mass.

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Classes of sailing dinghies, scows, sharpies and skiffs (worldwide)

29er | 405 ("Four-oh-five") | 420 ("Four-twenty") | 470 ("Four-seventy") | 49er | 505 ("Five-oh-five") | 3000 | Access | Adventuress | Albacore | ASC | Australian Sharpie | Bermuda Fitted Dinghy | Blue Jay | Bosun | Buccaneer 18 | Byte | C-Lark | Cadet | Cherub | Comet | Contender | Coypu | Day Sailer | Drascombe | El Toro | Enterprise | Escape | Europe |Fatty Knees | Finn | Fireball | Firefly | Flying Dutchman | Flying Eleven | Flying Junior | Flying Scot | GP14 | Graduate | Heron | Highlander | Hornet | Idle-along | IDRA14 | International Canoe | International Twelve | International Fourteen | 12ft Skiff |16ft Skiff | 18ft Skiff | Jacksnipe | Javelin | Jersey Skiff | Jet 14 | Jollyboat | JY15 | Lark | Lido 14 | Lightning | Manly Junior | Merlin Rocket | Mirror | Mistral (Des Townson) | Musto Skiff | Mutineer 15 | National 12 | O'Day DaySailer | OK Dinghy | Optimist | Osprey | Otter | P Class | Pirate | Precision 15 | Puddle Duck Racer | Pacer | Sabot | Sabre | Salcombe Yawl | Sea Bright | Scorpion (dinghy) | Scow (A, C, E, MC, M16, 17) | Snipe | Solo | Spiral | Streaker | Star Class | Sunburst | Sunfish | Tasar | Tauranga | Thames A Class Rater | Thistle | Turnabout | Turtle | Twinkles 10 & 12 | Vagabond | Vanguard 15 | Wanderer | Wayfarer | Y flyer | Zeddie | Zephyr (Des Townson) | Zoom 8 Dinghy of the schooner Adventuress A dinghy is a small utility boat attached to a larger boat. ... A scow, in the original sense, is a flat bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul garbage or similar bulk freight; cf. ... Sharpies are long, narrow sailboats with shallow draft. ... The term skiff is applied to various river craft, but a skiff is typically a small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and square stern. ... The 29er is a skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998. ... The International 420 Class Dinghy is a monohull planing dinghy with centreboard, bermuda rig and centre sheeting, designed for a crew of two. ... Olympic Class The 470 is a monohull planing dinghy with centerboard, Bermuda rig and center sheeting, designed for a crew of two. ... 49er With Its Asymetric Spinnaker The 49er is a newer one-design class of small sailing dinghy. ... The International 505 is a one-design high-performance two-person monohull planing centerboard dinghy. ... The 3000 is a racing sailing dinghy crewed by two persons with a trapeze for the crew. ... Adventuress sail no. ... The Albacore is a 4. ... The Australian Sharpie is a 3-person sailing dinghy which has evolved from the 12-square-metre class sailed in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. ... A fleet of Blue Jays sail in a regatta Blue Jay is a class of sailboat used primarily in the Northeastern United States. ... The Buccaneer 18 is a day sailer for pleasure sailing as well as racing; it is sailed throughout North America. ... The Byte is a cat rigged dinghy sailboat produced by PS2000. ... A C-Lark sailing with a model boat in the foreground. ... A Cadet is a small sailing dinghy. ... The Cherub is a small, high performance[1], two man planing dinghy first designed in 1951 in New Zealand by John Spencer[2] (d 1994). ... The Comet dinghy is a sixteen foot long, two person, one-design class, racing sloop. ... The Contender is a single-handed high performance sailing dinghy, designed by Ben Lexcen (Australia) in 1967 as a possible successor to the Finn dinghy for Olympic competition. ... A Coypu The Coypu is a class of small sailing dinghy. ... The Day Sailer is a day sailer for pleasure sailing as well as racing; it is sailed throughout North America and Brazil. ... The El Toro is a one-design class of sailing dinghy. ... The Enterprise type is a two-man hiking sailing dinghy with a distinctive blue sail and no spinnaker. ... Escape started as a 2004 short film made by Gabriel Bergmoser, Daniel Smetack, and David Padbury. ... The Europe is a one person dinghy. ... The Fatty Knees fibreglass sailing dinghies were designed by Lyle Hess (1912 - 2002). ... Originally designed by Peter Milne in 1962, the Fireball is a one-design high-performance sailing dinghy. ... Former Olympic Class The firefly is a two sail hiking sailing dinghy with no spinnaker. ... Former Olympic Class The Flying Dutchman is a high-performance class of racing dinghy. ... The Flying Eleven is an Australian boat designed as a high performance racing skiff suitable for 12 to 18 year olds. ... Flying Junior Dinghy The Flying Junior or FJ is a sailing dinghy designed in 1955 in Holland by Van Essen and Conrad Gulcher. ... The Flying Scot is a day sailer dinghy used for pleasure sailing as well as racing throughout North America. ... GP14 from astern The GP14 is a 4. ... The Heron Dinghy is a dinghy designed by Jack Holt of the United Kingdom as the Yachting World Cartopper (YW Cartopper). ... A Douglass design in the early 50s, the Highlander was the last boat built by the Douglass & McLeod company. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The IDRA14 or Irish Dinghy Racing Association Fourteen is a classic clinker built fouteen foot racing dinghy. ... The International Canoe, or more properly the International Ten Square Metre Sailing Canoe, often abbreviated to IC is a powerful and extremely fast single handed sailing canoe whose rules are governed by the International Canoe Federation. ... The International 14 is a racing sailing dinghy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jacksnipe Sail Logo, depicting the Jack Snipe bird The Jacksnipe is a two-man racing sailing dinghy with a single trapeze for the crew and symmetrical spinnaker. ... The Javelin can refer to several different class of boats. ... The Jersey Skiff is a beach launched boat first appearing around the end of the 1800s. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A Jollyboat is a New Zealand sailing dinghy designed by John Spencer. ... The JY 15 is a one-design racing dinghy designed by Rod Johnstone in 1989. ... Lark 2462 Mr Bigglesworth About the LARK Class The Lark was designed in 1966 by Michael Jackson, designer of many National 12 and Merlin Rockets. ... Image:Lido14. ... It has been suggested that Lightning (sailboat) be merged into this article or section. ... A junior racing dinghy class popular in Sydney Australia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A Mirror on Combs Reservoir in Derbyshire The Mirror is a highly successful pram dinghy, with more than 70,000 built. ... Introduction A Musto Skiff reaching at Lake Garda The Musto Skiff is a single-handed sailing skiff with a length of 4. ... A Mutineer and barge share the Mississippi River The Mutineer is a 15 foot sailing vessel. ... The National 12 is a two-person, two-sail, twelve-foot (3. ... The Day Sailer is a day sailer for pleasure sailing as well as racing; it is sailed throughout North America and Brazil. ... OK dinghy A Brief History of the OK In 1957 Axel Dangaard Olsen of Seattle, U.S.A., asked the Danish yacht designer Knud Olsen to prepare drawings for a light and fast single-handed sailing dinghy based on conventional plywood construction. ... The Optimist is a small, single-crew sailing dinghy. ... The Otter is a two man sailing dinghy with a glass fibre hull. ... Origin The P-Class was designed by New Zealand civil engineer, Harry Highet, as a simple vessel in which children and young people could learn to sail. ... // The pirate was constructed in 1935 and has no trapez. ... Image:Precision15. ... The dimensions to which a PD Racer must conform. ... Pacer Class The Pacer class of sailing dinghy, formerly known as the Puffin Pacer, was designed in the UK by Jack Holt. ... The Sabot is a sailing dinghy that is sailed and raced singlehandedly usually by young sailors in various places around the world. ... Sabre sailing at Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club The Sabre is a class of twelve-foot-long (3. ... The Sea Bright is a derivation of the Jersey Skiff. ... The scorpion is a class of small sailing dinghy. ... A scow, in the original sense, is a flat bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul garbage or similar bulk freight; cf. ... The Snipe is a 15-1/2 foot, 2 person, one design racing dinghy with a rich history. ... The National Solo class is a racing dingy designed by Jack Holt in 1956. ... The Spiral is a type or class of sailing dinghy. ... Streakers at Ripon Sailing Club A Streaker is a type of sailing dinghy designed in 1975 by Jack Holt. ... The Sunburst is a two-handed, 3. ... The Sunfish is a popular one-design class of sailboat which was developed in the 1950s. ... The Tasar is a 14 foot fibreglass sailing dinghy. ... Origin The P-Class was designed by New Zealand civil engineer, Harry Highet, as a simple vessel in which children and young people could learn to sail. ... The Thames A Class Rater is both a historic and modern specialist sailing craft designed for the particular conditions at Thames Sailing Club, in Surbiton in the United Kingdom. ... A Thistle sailing downwind. ... In the United States, the Sadie Hawkins dance (also known as a snow ball, snowball, turnabout, or a Tolo) is a school dance, usually occuring in high schools, in which female students invite male students. ... The Vagabond is a 3. ... The Vanguard 15 is a popular one design racing dinghy (no changes to the boat) manufactured by Vanguard Sailboats. ... The Wanderer Logo The Wanderer is a 14 foot Fiberglass hull Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. ... The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled bermudan rigged sailing dinghy, often used for short sailing trips as a day boat. The boat is 15 foot 10 inches (4. ... The Y Flyer is a 18 foot sloop rigged racing dinghy sailed by 2 people. ... The Zephyr is a New Zealand one-design 3. ... The Zoom 8 is a youth racing sailboat sailed in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ...

Laser | Laser Radial | Laser 4.7 | Laser 2 | Laser 2000 | Laser 3000 | Laser 4000 | Laser 5000 | Laser Pico | Laser SB3 | Laser Stratos | Laser Vortex | Laser Funboat Olympic Class The Laser Standard Side view Rightening a capsized boat This article focuses on the Laser Standard dinghy. ... The Laser (often called Laser Standard to avoid confusion with the laser variants) is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. ... The Laser 4. ... The Laser 2 is a larger variant of the popular Laser one-design class of small sailing dinghy The Laser is a single-handed boat, but the Laser 2 is sailed by two people. ... The Laser 3000 is a racing sailing dinghy crewed by two persons with a trapeze for the crew. ... The Laser 4000 is an asymmetric racing dinghy crewed by two persons. ... The Laser Pico dinghy is a small sailboat designed by Jo Richards in the mid-1990s and used primarily for training and day sailing. ... The Laser SB3 is a one-design class of sailboat commonly used for racing. ... // Laser Stratos Introduction The Laser Stratos is an all-round cruising and racing boat built by the same company as the famous Laser Standard dinghy. ...

RS200 | RS300 | RS400 | RS500 | RS600 | RS700 | RS800 | RS Feva | RS Vareo | RS Vision | RS K6 The RS200 is a 4. ... The RS300 is a modern racing sailing dinghy made by RS, who also make many other dinghies. ... The RS500 is a three-cylinder racing motorcycle produced by Honda. ... The RS800 is a fast, light-weight sailing dinghy designed by Phil Morrison. ... The RS Feva is a one- or two-man (depending on rig) racing dinghy which has use of optional jib and/or spinnaker. ... The RS Vareo is a modern, singlehanded sailing dinghy widely raced throughout the UK at both club and national level. ...