Dart 18
Encyclopedia
The Dart 18 is a one-design
18 feet (5.5 m) long glassfibre sailing catamaran
. It is designed to be sailed by two people and can achieve speeds of up to 20 knots.
class catamaran. Up to the present, a number of improvements have been made, but the original concept was preserved though strict class rules. More than 8000 boats have been built up to 2010, which are sailed in more than 16 nations on 4 continents.
Since Jan. 2009, Bryher Mouldings holds the worldwide license to build the Dart 18.
The boats are manufactured since 2005 at Collins Fibreglass Plastics in South Africa.
The World Championship results can be found here.
s.
Instead, the lower part of the hulls have skegs typical for a beach catamaran.
The hull material is glassfibre. Both hulls are filled with flotation inserts to preserve buoyancy
in case of damage. The inside of each hull can be reached through a hatch cover located
at the rear of each hull. The boat is assembled by attaching the main and rear beams
to the hulls with spring-loaded retaining clips, and lacing the trampoline to the beams and hulls.
The two rudders are removable without tools, retract on impact with the beach, and can be locked in the up position.
The rigging
consists of a rotating mast held by a forestay and two shroud wires. The shrouds can be adjusted by simply moving the bolts in the chainplates. The Dart 18 mast does not have spreaders.
There is a trapeze
for the crew.
The mainsail does not have a boom, has 9 full battens, and is controlled by a main sheet with a 7:1
mechanical advantage.
The jib sail has 2 short battens, and is controlled by a jib sheet with a 2:1 mechanical advantage.
The main sheet block and both jib sheet blocks have a ratchet and a cleat.
A gennaker
sail can be added, but is not legal for racing. This is usually combined with a jib furling system.
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
18 feet (5.5 m) long glassfibre sailing catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
. It is designed to be sailed by two people and can achieve speeds of up to 20 knots.
History
The Dart 18 was designed in 1975 as a One Design Class by Rodney March, who was also responsible for the design of the Olympic TornadoTornado (sailboat)
The Tornado is an two person multihull class recognised as an International Class by the International Sailing Federation. It was used for the Olympic Catamaran discpline for over 30 years.-Background:...
class catamaran. Up to the present, a number of improvements have been made, but the original concept was preserved though strict class rules. More than 8000 boats have been built up to 2010, which are sailed in more than 16 nations on 4 continents.
Since Jan. 2009, Bryher Mouldings holds the worldwide license to build the Dart 18.
The boats are manufactured since 2005 at Collins Fibreglass Plastics in South Africa.
The World Championship results can be found here.
Design
The hulls of the Dart 18 are similar to the Tornado catamaran, but without daggerboardDaggerboard
A daggerboard is a retractable centreboard used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, countering the leeward push of the...
s.
Instead, the lower part of the hulls have skegs typical for a beach catamaran.
The hull material is glassfibre. Both hulls are filled with flotation inserts to preserve buoyancy
in case of damage. The inside of each hull can be reached through a hatch cover located
at the rear of each hull. The boat is assembled by attaching the main and rear beams
to the hulls with spring-loaded retaining clips, and lacing the trampoline to the beams and hulls.
The two rudders are removable without tools, retract on impact with the beach, and can be locked in the up position.
The rigging
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
consists of a rotating mast held by a forestay and two shroud wires. The shrouds can be adjusted by simply moving the bolts in the chainplates. The Dart 18 mast does not have spreaders.
There is a trapeze
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...
for the crew.
The mainsail does not have a boom, has 9 full battens, and is controlled by a main sheet with a 7:1
mechanical advantage.
The jib sail has 2 short battens, and is controlled by a jib sheet with a 2:1 mechanical advantage.
The main sheet block and both jib sheet blocks have a ratchet and a cleat.
A gennaker
Gennaker
A gennaker is a sail that was developed around 1990. Used when sailing downwind, it is a cross between a genoa and a spinnaker. It is asymmetric like a genoa, but the gennaker is not attached to the forestay like a jib or genoa. The gennaker is rigged like a spinnaker but the tack is fastened to...
sail can be added, but is not legal for racing. This is usually combined with a jib furling system.
External links
- International Dart18 Association
- Dart18 Facebook Dart18 on Facebook
- UK Dart 18 Catamaran Association
- SA Dart 18 Catamaran Association
- Collins Fiberglass Products Manufacturer of the Dart 18 since 2005
- Windsport International Official supplier of Class Legal Dart 18 spares
- ISAF 2011 class report for the Dart 18
- www.Dartpart.com Worldwide supplier of Dart 18 spares