Fish class sloop
Encyclopedia
The Fish class sloop, also known informally as Fish Boat is a one-design
sailboat
designed in 1919 by New Orleans resident Rathbone De Buys, member of the Southern Yacht Club
. It is reputed to have been the most popular sailboat racing class on the US Gulf Coast
in the early 20th century and was the Gulf Yachting Association one-design racer until it was replaced by the Flying Scot
in 1969.
It should not be confused with Nat Herreshoff's
larger sloops, the Annisquam Fish Class Marconi rigged catboats, nor various motor yachts and surfboard
s of similar names.
, fixed-keel
, hard chine
, v-hull
sloop
, originally made of wood, which can carry two crewmembers. Its specifications are length 20' 6", waterline 16', beam 6', draft 3', weight 1500 lb (680.4 kg), ballast 220 lb (99.8 kg), sail area 270 sq ft (25.1 m²)., mainsail area 216 sq ft (20.1 m²)., jibsail area 54 sq ft (5 m²). Rules have been modified to allow aluminum spar
s and hulls made partially or totally of fiberglass
composite. When the Fish is raced in a cruising class event its (2008) Portsmouth yardstick
rating is 97.1. It is not listed in the PHRF critical dimension database.
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...
sailboat
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
designed in 1919 by New Orleans resident Rathbone De Buys, member of the Southern Yacht Club
Southern Yacht Club
The Southern Yacht Club is located in New Orleans, Louisiana's West End neighborhood, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Established in 1854, it is the third oldest yacht club in the United States.-Sailing:...
. It is reputed to have been the most popular sailboat racing class on the US Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
in the early 20th century and was the Gulf Yachting Association one-design racer until it was replaced by the Flying Scot
Flying Scot (dinghy)
The Flying Scot is a day sailer dinghy used for pleasure sailing as well as racing throughout North America. The Flying Scot was designed in 1957 by Gordon K...
in 1969.
It should not be confused with Nat Herreshoff's
Nathanael Herreshoff
Nathanael Greene Herreshoff I , was an American naval architect-mechanical engineer. "Captain Nat," as he was known, revolutionized yacht design, and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup defenders between 1893–1920....
larger sloops, the Annisquam Fish Class Marconi rigged catboats, nor various motor yachts and surfboard
Surfboard
A surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
s of similar names.
Specifications
The Fish class sloop is a gaff-rigGaff rig
Gaff rig is a sailing rig in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar called the gaff...
, fixed-keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
, hard chine
Chine (boating)
A chine in boating refers to a sharp angle in the hull, as compared to the rounded bottoms of most traditional boat hulls. The term hard chine indicates an angle with little rounding, where a soft chine would be more rounded, but still involve the meeting of distinct planes. Chine log...
, v-hull
V-hull (boat)
A V-hull, is the shape of a boat or ship in which the contours of the hull come in a straight line to the keel. V-hull designs are usually used in smaller boats and are useful in providing space for ballast inside the boat....
sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
, originally made of wood, which can carry two crewmembers. Its specifications are length 20' 6", waterline 16', beam 6', draft 3', weight 1500 lb (680.4 kg), ballast 220 lb (99.8 kg), sail area 270 sq ft (25.1 m²)., mainsail area 216 sq ft (20.1 m²)., jibsail area 54 sq ft (5 m²). Rules have been modified to allow aluminum spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
s and hulls made partially or totally of fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
composite. When the Fish is raced in a cruising class event its (2008) 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...
rating is 97.1. It is not listed in the PHRF critical dimension database.