Cowes Port Handbook 2014-2015 April 2014 | Page 90

COWES PORT HANDBOOK 2014 - 2015

Types of Yachting
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The variety of modern and classic yachts is vast, but can be broken down
into some basic categories.

Rick Tomlinson

Small Keelboats

......................

Cowes is home to several small keelboat classes including Darings,
Dragons, Etchells, Sonars, X One Designs, Flying Fifteens, and J80s. See
also the ‘Fleets of Cowes’ section on page 76-79 for more information.

Dinghies

............

Dinghies are distinguished
from other boats by their
relatively small size, lack
of a fixed keel to keep
them upright and they are
invariably launched for
the race and then taken
out of the water. Dinghies
are wet to race, with the
crew sometimes ducked
Hamo Thornycroft
in the water, or capsizing.
Some dinghies boast
trapezes, enabling the crew to ‘hike out’ using their weight to keep the
boat upright. Just west of Cowes is Gurnard Sailing Club which runs the
popular Cowes Dinghy Week, taking place this year from 26-30 July.

Cruisers

...........

Cruisers are given a rating based upon boat and sail measurements in order
to allow competitive racing. Crew sizes will vary according to conditions,
but typically have a skipper, navigator and four or five ‘grinders’ tending
the winches, sails and sheets. Cruisers vary in length considerably, but
most will generally be between 20 and 40 feet.
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