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49er (dinghy)
Encyclopedia
The 49er is a double handed twin trapeze
skiff
type sailing dinghy. The two crew work on different roles with the helm
making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control. The design, by Julian Bethwaite, the son of Frank Bethwaite
(the designer of the popular Tasar
and Laser 2
classes), is revolutionary. The boat was selected by the International Sailing Federation
after a series of trials for a high performance two person skiff and has been in every olympics since it debut in Sydney Olympics of 2000
.
, Julian Bethwaite made several changes to the evolution of high performance sailing. By replacing the spinnaker
pole with an asymmetrical spinnaker system which comes straight out of the bow, it facilitates higher speeds and greater ease at flying it.
Another innovative feature is the gust response built into the rig. The deflection of the mast progressively from the top downwards due to the increase in the wind speed causes the sail to flatten, reducing the sail forces. This is an important part of the 49er design and is now used on many skiff designs. The use of solid wings, rather than tubes as on similar boats (RS800
etc), aids sailors new to the world of skiff
racing whilst facilitating rapid movement across the 49er during maneuvers.
The 49er made its first Olympic appearance at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and has continued to grow in popularity ever since.
With a Portsmouth yardstick
Handicap of 744 the 49er is the fastest two person one-design monohull dinghy.
To keep the boat at the forefront of skiff sailing for the 2012 olympics the boat received a new rig design, including a larger fully carbon mast and square top mainsail.
is a smaller, single trapeze trainer to the 49er. It has become popular in North America, Europe and Australia as a fast exciting youth boat. Recently the 29erXX
, a twin trapeze version of the 29er
, has been produced with a rig very similar to the 49er.
Trapeze (sailing)
In sailing, the trapeze refers to a wire that comes from a point high on the mast, usually where the shrouds are fixed, to a hook on the crew member's harness at approximately waist level...
skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
type sailing dinghy. The two crew work on different roles with the helm
Helmsman
A helmsman is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, or other type of maritime vessel. On small vessels, particularly privately-owned noncommercial vessels, the functions of skipper and helmsman may be combined in one person. On larger vessels, there is a separate officer of the watch,...
making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control. The design, by Julian Bethwaite, the son of Frank Bethwaite
Frank Bethwaite
Frank Bethwaite, born in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1920, is an award-winning boat designer, author and former Olympic meteorologist.-Biography:Bethwaite built his first boat as a teenager...
(the designer of the popular Tasar
Tasar (dinghy)
The Tasar is a fiberglass 2 person sailing dinghy with a mainsail and jib. Designed by Frank Bethwaite of Sydney in 1975, the boat is technologically advanced. Aimed at a husband and wife/parent and child crew, it is designed for a combined crew weight of 140 kg. The hull weighs 68 kg,...
and Laser 2
Laser 2 (dinghy)
The Laser 2 is a double-handed version of the popular Laser one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a quick, planing dinghy that differs from the laser in that it has a jib, symmetric spinnaker and a...
classes), is revolutionary. The boat was selected by the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
after a series of trials for a high performance two person skiff and has been in every olympics since it debut in Sydney Olympics of 2000
Sailing at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....
.
History
The 49er marked an advance in dinghy engineering. Based on the Aussie 18s18ft Skiff
The 18ft Skiff is considered the fastest class of sailing skiffs. The class has a long history beginning with races on Sydney Harbour, Australia in 1892. The boat has changed significantly since the early days, bringing in new technology as it became available. Because of the need of strength,...
, Julian Bethwaite made several changes to the evolution of high performance sailing. By replacing the spinnaker
Spinnaker
A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...
pole with an asymmetrical spinnaker system which comes straight out of the bow, it facilitates higher speeds and greater ease at flying it.
Another innovative feature is the gust response built into the rig. The deflection of the mast progressively from the top downwards due to the increase in the wind speed causes the sail to flatten, reducing the sail forces. This is an important part of the 49er design and is now used on many skiff designs. The use of solid wings, rather than tubes as on similar boats (RS800
RS800
The RS800 is a light-weight sailing dinghy designed by Phil Morrison and manufactured by RS Sailing. The boat is sailed by 2 people both on trapeze and has a main, jib and spinnaker. The RS800 has a PY number of 822...
etc), aids sailors new to the world of skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
racing whilst facilitating rapid movement across the 49er during maneuvers.
With a Portsmouth yardstick
Portsmouth yardstick
The Portsmouth Yardstick or Portsmouth handicap scheme is a system of handicapping used primarily in small-boat yacht racing.The handicap is applied to the time taken to sail any course, and the corrected time can be used to compare widely different sailboats on even terms. Portsmouth Numbers are...
Handicap of 744 the 49er is the fastest two person one-design monohull dinghy.
To keep the boat at the forefront of skiff sailing for the 2012 olympics the boat received a new rig design, including a larger fully carbon mast and square top mainsail.
Related Boats
The 29er29er
The 29er is a two-man high performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998.-Background:It is targeted at youth, especially those training to sail the larger 49er. It has a single trapeze and a fractional asymmetric spinnaker. The Class is a more modern replacement to...
is a smaller, single trapeze trainer to the 49er. It has become popular in North America, Europe and Australia as a fast exciting youth boat. Recently the 29erXX
29erXX
The 29erXX is a high performance sailing skiff, it was designed to allow light crews, particularly female crews, to sail twin trapeze boats and as a training boat for the more powerful 49er. The class gained International Sailing Federation Class status in May 2011....
, a twin trapeze version of the 29er
29er
The 29er is a two-man high performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998.-Background:It is targeted at youth, especially those training to sail the larger 49er. It has a single trapeze and a fractional asymmetric spinnaker. The Class is a more modern replacement to...
, has been produced with a rig very similar to the 49er.