Sandringham Yacht Club » Classes Sailed

Optimist

The Optimist Dinghy:
The Optimist is a single-handed dinghy, approx 2.3m in length, is the ideal yacht for children between the ages of 8 and 15 to sail.
It is also the perfect class in which they can experience exhilarating racing at all levels, including World Championships. These boats are lightweight, simple to operate, have exceptional safety and stability. They’re also simple to transport – just strap it to the roof of your car or stow it in the back of a van or utility.
Sailed in every state in Australia, and in more than 100 countries, it’s the largest junior class in the World, and is the ONLY dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors less than 16 years of age. Over 70% of medal winning skippers at the Athens Olympics were former Int Optimist sailors.

Optimists in Australia:
Australia is a relatively late starter to take up the Int Optimist.
Yachting Australia is now actively promoting the Int Optimist dinghy as its preferred class for junior sail training and racing.

Optimists in Victoria:
Please refer to the optivic website: www.optivic.yachting.org.au

Optimists at SYC:
Sandringham Yacht Club has elected to support the YA move by also selecting the class as its junior single handed training and racing class.

• If you are a junior and would like to learn how to sail at the clubs sailing school, you will be learning in an Optimist.
• If you enjoyed the sailing school and think you want to join SYC as a junior member. You will be able to progress to our SYC-OTB Optimist Coaching program. • SYC already has a fleet of privately owned Optimists actively competing in club, state, national & international events and we would like to expand our fleet.
• Ongoing Class specific club coaching programs are presently conducted for the Optimists.

What Do They Cost?
Prices for New Optimists around $3,000, “Sail away” with trolley, and are available through Mr Steven Bond of OziOpti, based in Sth Melbourne. Tel: 0424 225 774.
New boats are also available under a rent-buy program of $80 per mth, for further details contact “OziOpti”
Second hand boats are available from around $2,000, and are advertised on the “optivic” website, or enquire through “OziOpti”
Back to Top

International Cadet

The International Cadet was designed by Jack Holt in England in 1947 to be double handed training boat for children. Purposely made to be too small for an adult to sail but with all the attributes of a racing dinghy. Strictly controlled measurements has kept this ‘one design’ boat at the front of junior training world wide. The boat itself is 10ft. 7in. (3.2m) long, weighs 54 Kg. and has a sail of 49 (4.55 sq. m) in the working sails (main and jib) and 45 sq. ft. (4.2)sq. m) in the spinnaker.

Almost all skippers will have sailed as a crew for two or three years and will therefore have a great deal of experience and knowledge which they can pass down to new crews. The cadet provides a junior training and racing experience where the skipper and crew must work together as a team to obtain the best results.

Traditionally all cadets were built of wood,although use of foam sandwich fibreglass is now widely used. Due to the strength of design;boats up to forty years old can still be competitive if they have been properly maintained. Pricing ranges from $800.00 for a beginners second hand boats to $5,000.00 for a brand new boat ensuring there is something to fit everyone’s budget and sailing capabilities.

The class is currently sailed in three states in Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria with National championships held each year with fleets of over 60 boats. The top boats are eligible to sail at the world championships for the class,held at different venues around the world each year.

The cadet dinghy is sailed in over 20 countries such as Argentina, Australia, Holland, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, making it one of the only truly International double handed training/racing dinghies.

Please click here to view the Victorian Cadet Association 6th fleet website.
Back to Top

International 420 class

The International 420 was designed in 1959 by Christian Maury as a youth training boat and a feeder class into the International 470. The class was designed as a strict one design, high performance, two person trapeze and spinnaker racing dinghy.

The class has lasted the test of time and fickle sailing tastes and there are now more that 56,000 sailing worldwide. This popular dinghy is sailed at school, club, open, national and international levels. There are many second hand boats available, active clubs and excellent tuition for all levels.

Built in buoyancy tanks make the boat very safe even when inverted. The 420 is the youth development boat in 43 countries around the world and is the ISAF Youth World Championship boat. Despite the emergence of newer commercial driven classes and asymmetrics, the 420 is still the world’s top youth training boat.
Specification:
Length 4.2 m
Beam 1.63 m
Mast 6.26 m
Sails Main 10.25m2, Jib 2.8 m2, Spinnaker 9 m2.
Bare hull weight 80 kg min
Sailing weight 100 kg min
The ideal competitive combined crew weight is 110-145Kg.
Please note the hull is very buoyant and forgiving under pressure.
It is not unusual to see the 420 being raced in 25 knots +.
With more than 100 registered 420’s in Australia, the racing at Club, State, National and International levels is extremely close and very exciting.
Here is the link to the Victorian class assoc website www.vic420.yachting.org.au
Back to Top

Laser

29er

14′ Skiffs

The 14 foot Skiff is by far one of the most exhilarating and fastest monohulls of the present day. For over 100 years it has been at the forefront of sailing technology.

The boats have changed from the wooden carved hulled boats of the early 1900s to carbon fibre foam sandwich construction of today. But the massive sail areas driving these boats has not. Two sailors both on trapeze makes this a demanding boat not the inexperienced .

Large fleets in over five states of Australia makes it one of the very few truly national classes with Australian Championships held annually since 1897 and now World Championships with the joining of the International 14 Foot fleet in 1986.

For further information contact Philip Strong on 95892681(A.H.) or visit the world website

Rules Summary

Number of Crew – 2
LWL – 4267mm / 14ft.
Beam – 1830mm / 6ft
Mast Height (above hull) – 7626mm / 25ft
Hull Weight (with fittings) – 74.25kg / 164 lbs
Sail Area – Main & Jib 18.58 sq.m 200 sq.ft
Spinnaker Unlimited

International 14′ Web Site
Back to Top

Tasar

The Tasar is a 5 metre long, high performance dinghy, ideally suited for combinations of two adults, adult/teenager or two teenagers. Many people sail as husband/wife or parent/teenager combinations.

Designed by Frank Bethwaite, this popular class has no spinnaker or trapeze, but really gets up and goes due to its design, lightweight and fully battened mylar sails on a rotating mast.

The Tasar is an international class and is very popular in Australia. It is the ideal boat for adult keelboat sailors looking to hone their sailing skills and develop their fitness levels. Also a great boat for those Oppie and Cadet parents around the club looking for a challenge and some fun! We expect around ten Tasars to be racing at Sandy this summer.

Go to www.tasar.yachting.org for more details of this great boat.
Back to Top