Dinghy development: 16 ft Skiffs

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16 ft Skiffs

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2918
Printed Date: 18 Aug 25 at 8:06pm
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Topic: 16 ft Skiffs

Posted By: Norbert
Subject: 16 ft Skiffs
Date Posted: 02 May 07 at 10:56am

Just watched Race 11 of the 16 ft Skiff season as recomended by the video of the week thread. Wow what boats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OHEN4G5k0 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OHEN4G5k0

Should we call them 18 ft skiffs for the mortal man? Would imagine they are a whole load easier to sail in a blow and probably a heap more robust than their esoteric 18ft cousins. What's their performance like? Faster than a 49er? 18er?

It would be nice to have a home grown fleet here in blighty

Norb

Replies:

Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 02 May 07 at 12:07pm

Originally posted by Norbert

Just watched Race 11 of the 16 ft Skiff season as recomended by the video of the week thread. Wow what boats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OHEN4G5k0 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OHEN4G5k0

Should we call them 18 ft skiffs for the mortal man? Would imagine they are a whole load easier to sail in a blow and probably a heap more robust than their esoteric 18ft cousins. What's their performance like? Faster than a 49er? 18er?

It would be nice to have a home grown fleet here in blighty

Norb

I guess we'll need more fruit machines in the sailing clubs then ...

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Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 02 May 07 at 12:21pm

To put some flesh on the fruit machine comment you have to understand that the 16s run off a whole culture based on the Australian Gambling laws...The money to run them comes primarily because the skiff clubs are like mini casinos!

I'm not completely up on this, but from what I can make out Australian gambling law says - or used to say, this may have changed recently - that the Pokies - fruit machines sort of - can only be installed in bona fide clubs. So the profits from the fruit machines are partlty fed into the boats, with crews being paid not only prizes, but also start money - the more races you start the more you get paid and so on.It all makes it possible for ordinary guys to run what are pretty expensive boats.

Posted By: Skiff-Action
Date Posted: 02 May 07 at 12:40pm

Pokies (what we call fruit machines) were once apon a time only in sporting clubs to help pay for sports (Football clubs were the best at using this means). Now they are privately owned pubs too, so it is a hard business.

Mini Casinos? Not really, only pokies for us - yes they take a fair bit of space in the club - but once you get a certain size you have to feed the beast.

16's do seem to have the larger of the "casino" clubs (as Jimmy Walsh will poke fun about). But I guess when the club members back in the tin shed days (50's) took the punt to get liquor licenses and then gaming machines, you have to say they were very forward thinking guys.

Pretty expensive boats? Absolutely not. Dearer than 12's yes, but not by lots. And a whole heap cheaper than 18's, but then what isn't.

Prizemoney, including start/finish money certainly helps offset costs - but no one ever gets to pay nothing.

Action

By the way, our President Brian Ellis is an ex-Pom. Used to sail Merlin Rockets (I think).