What is the definition of a Skiff?

Some background for the rest: The ICA has registered some domain names for the Contender website and want to get some stickers made up withthe web address on them, the poll is to decide which to get printed. The choices are 1, www.contenderclass.org 2, www.contenderskiff.org or 3, some of both. So far it's 73% 19%, 8% respectively.

It seems most Contenderers agree that a Contender is not a Skiff but worryingly some committee members seem to disagree - which is why I launched this thread to convince them otherwise.

After a lot of looking around, the EARLIEST definition of a skiff (1700s in europe and north america) I can finmd is that a skiff is a 'small flat bottomed tender or canoe'.  By this definition even an oppy is a skiff and to be honest the earliest builders from all those years ago would probably agree. 

However!!!, as designs and technology have evolved so too has the definition associated with the term.  The basis of what people seem to be leaning towards now is based (as i'm sure most of us know) on the 18 footer class in sydney.  As far as I can tell the firrst designs were based on skiff tenders with sails added.  the main reson being that the boats were easy and resonably cheap to build.  However it was accepted that designing them successfully with or without sails was significantly harder.  As the 18 footer classed developed it was still considered a skiff as in principle it still fitted the basic description.  However over time perception changed from an 18 being a skiff to a skiff being an 18 and so people's understaning of the term changed.  The result being that the definition has become somewhat blurred.  Without wanting to sound too nerdy this actually gives an interesting view of how the english language has developed.  On a more important sailing related note, (and this will proobably not help matter to much) It appears that there are now too different schools of thought on the mater.  the 'classic' australian view which pretty much resticts the term to the 18's, 16's, I14, and 12's.  The other view is the european (british) one which expands this too light asymmetric boats designed to plane on all points of sail.  This is born more out of marketing than design and so some sinecism could be associiated with it, but (back to words again) provided we all know more or less what eachother are talking about, doews it really matter?!

P.S.:   Those in Oz please fell free to correct me on the 18's history, I've read the stuff on the web but thats no substitute for seeing them devlop first hand. 

The 505 definately handles like a skiff downwind with her new big kite, but the upwind performance is still the performance of a dinghy & thats why I couldn't look upon her as a skiff. Still a really fast and fun high performance boat though & going downwind with the new kite in a blow is truely awesome. Its just getting her back upwind takes too much time.

Originally posted by Granite Light for size Large sail area for waterline length Large Righting moment for width of hull e.g. flares, racks,  trapizes Planes upwind and down. Uses apparent wind to sail down wind Something where just getting around the course is an acheavment.

Looks like a good definition to me ...

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd Originally posted by Matt Jackson But I want a definition of a skiff. Possibly the same as the last two threads on this subject concluded. If you are Australian, something with very specific historical lineage. If you are a British dinghy manufacturer, any new product you want to make appear new, fast and exciting. Seriously, this subject has been done to death several times already.

OK, I missed it several time then. What topics is it in?