CHATHAM YACHT CLUB

Boat Descriptions

Beetle Cat – The Beetle Cat is a 12’4” Cat Boat that is indigenous to Massachusetts. Its stable, spacious design makes it ideal for a small group of children to accompany an instructor. The boat’s one sail is gaff-rigged. Young students beginning in Beetle Cats gain the benefit of sailing a unique, wooden boat that requires sound development in knowledge of rigging and teamwork on the water. Beetle Cat’s are also great for on the water lessons given by the instructor in the boat.

Optimist - The Optimist Dinghy, or Opti, is a squared off bath-tub-like design with one sail. It is the most popular junior training boat in the world today. The Opti is a lightweight, eight foot pram (meaning low draught and squared-off bow) with a gaff rig, designed for children under the age of 15. Optimists give youngsters the essential steering and sail-trimming skills necessary to continue in the sport of sailing. Its flat, stable hull provides an unintimidating introduction to sailing. Once the basics are mastered, Optimists can be tweaked and raced competitively if desired.

Laser – The Laser Standard, or Laser One, is a simple, one-design sailing dinghy that can accommodate one or two sailors. The Laser is an extremely popular recreational and racing boat in the U.S. and around the world. It is “cat-rigged” and has just one sail. It is likeable for its simple rig, slender design, portability, performance on the water, and various levels the boat can be sailed at for different difficulties. The Laser is perfect for sailors who understand the fundamentals of sailing, and are looking to try a different boat that requires a slightly different skill set, while going a bit faster on the water.

Sunfish - The Sunfish dinghy is a popular one-design sailing dinghy which can be sailed with one or two crew. At 13 feet 9 inches (4.2 m) in length and 130 lb (59 kg) in weight, the Sunfish is portable and easy for intermediate sailors to handle on their own. The Sunfish is typically used as either a recreational or a racing boat, with over 1000 racing events every year worldwide. Although not as adaptable as the Laser or the 420, the Sunfish has value in its simplicity and its ability to be single-handed with relative ease by a newer sailor.

420 - The International 420 Class Dinghy is a monohull planning dinghy with centerboard, Bermuda rig (type of sail cut), and centre sheeting. It is designed for a crew of two. The name describes the overall length of the boat in centimeters (the boat is exactly 4.2 meters long). It is a very popular boat in the U.S. for teenagers and is built to be manageable for sailors coming out of the Optimist class and enables young sailors to learn teamwork, trapeze, and spinnaker techniques. The Club 420 is simple and safe for beginning sailors and yet complex enough to challenge even the most experienced veterans in certain conditions and rigs.

Day Sailer - The Day Sailer is a craft larger than a dinghy, but still manageable for 2-3 sailors who seek a stable environment with more speed and power than the most other craft its size or smaller. The 17’ craft lends itself well to adults and older children who wish to experience a more stable, technical aspect of sailing. The Day Sailer is powered, like a 420 and Flying Scot, by a main, jib, and spinnaker. While very popular through the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, as of 2008 there is an effort underway to rebuild the Day Sailer fleets in Southern Massachusetts.

Flying Scot’s – The Flying Scot Is a 19’ day sailing craft with a deep cockpit that can comfortably fit up to eight crew. For racing, a crew of 2-4 is ideal. The craft is easy to rig and can be launched in as little as 12” of water. The rig of a Flying Scot, as with a 420, features a main, jib, and a spinnaker. The Flying Scot offers the tactical aspects of a 420 but with more comfort, simplicity, and the ability to hold a larger crew. Pleasant Bay Community Boating, located down the beach from CYC at Jacknife Beach, owns a fleet of Flying Scott’s that it shares with CYC for the Adventure Sailing class.