How fast????

Originally posted by Skiffman [ But don't Cherubs and 12 foot skiffs compete in the same worlds?!?! So how can a cherub not be a skiff.

Its not unknown for Cherubs to be rigged as Twelves and sail in the 12 Interdoms, and there's kind of a standing invite - but then in box rule classes if it measures you can sail - but it doesn't happen every time. There's a UK Cherub rigged as a Twelve about, Draycote I believe it lives at - and its quite a machine. I've had a little yacht in it and it has a huge grin index:-)

As for what's a skiff. A akiff is I guess one of the Sydney classes which were traditionally called skiffs, which were originally sailed by working folk, not the yacht classes, and which usually have multiple rigs. In current terms they are for sure the 12s, 16s and 18s, the 14s to an extent. I'd not claim a Cherub to be one but...

I think you can usefully talk about a skiff type, which is a boat that in design philosophy etc would be similar to the actual skiffs of its era. The Cherub since 1970ish is that I'd say, the 49er and 29er too, with the slight caveat that the sliffs tend to be quite short for the crew weight they carry, whereas the Bethwaite boats run long and thin. Also the NZ Javelin and R and a bunch of other Aus classes.

On that basis I'd say the I14s up to the 80s weren't skiff types, nor were pre Farr/Bethwaite/Bowler era Cherubs. The I14s of now are, the 5 Tonner not a hope!

In singlehander the word has different meanings - ie skiff Moth is as opposed to scow.

Firstly I like Granite's referance to a sports car.  Many call a Hyundai Tiburon or Interga Type R for example, a sports car ........    But realy!!!!!!!

OK, I see a true skiff as only the 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s + the historicals ie 6, 8, 10 ect to 18s.

Skiffs as far as I see it is a class name used for these boats that originated in the early 1900s in Australia.  ie 16 foot skiff.  The boats are not known by any other name.

A Cherub is a Cherub (Dinghy) and a 12 foot skiff is a 12 foot skiff.

A 29er is a skiff trainer but not a skiff.....  It is a 29er.

A 49er is not called a skiff, it is a 49er...... Dinghy.  A very fast high performance dinghy but a dinghy non the less.

The Skiff is an important part of Australian sailing history and I feel the term skiff is thrown about to readly.  A 49er I feel is not a skiff for example but is skiff like in some aspects.

Call a skiff a skiff and other classes buy their class names.

Feel free to flame away

 

i met a guy who said he sailed a hurricane single handed quite a lot

he said it was fun up till when the gusts started to hit

Originally posted by hurricane actually they are more like 4k now so even better value for money and with the extra cash you have u could buy an SX kit (spinny + self tacking jib) for it!!!

 

Eek... Very cheap 'mean machine'.  Now I wonder what a Hurri without jib and kite would be like single handed

Chris,

Having owned 2 Hurricanes

1, Yes Very Quick

2, Well, not the ideal learner boat

3, Does in no way cost a lot to run.  You can pick up a competitive 2nd hand boat for 5K and that is just about all you need to spend.  New jib once a year (dunno how much these days) and a few bits ofn string now and then.