Dinghy sailing facts for kids

Names of sailing dinghy parts

Dinghy sailing is a fun way to sail in small boats. These boats usually have a special fin called a centreboard or a keel underneath. Sailors use their bodies to balance the boat as they steer it through the water.

History of Dinghy Sailing

Small boats have been used for a very long time. People used them to move goods and themselves from one place to another. Often, they would go from a big anchored ship to the shore.

In the 17th century, Charles II of England received a sailing dinghy as a gift. This happened when he came back to England from being away.

In 1887, a lawyer named Thomas Middleton from Dublin thought that yacht racing was too costly. He then came up with the idea of the one-design boat. His goal was to make yacht racing fair. He wanted it to be all about a sailor's skill, not how much money they spent. All boats would be exactly the same.

He found others who agreed with him. They chose a design for a new boat and called it 'The Water Wag'. The Water Wag Club is still active today. They race in Dún Laoghaire harbour, near Dublin, Ireland, every Wednesday evening in the summer.

Today, there are many different types of sailing dinghies. You can find them at yacht clubs all over the world. Dinghy sailing is even a major sport in the Olympics.

Types of Dinghy Boats

Dinghy designs are often called "classes." These classes are usually either "one-design" or "development."

One-Design vs. Development Classes

• One-design classes mean all the boats are built exactly the same. This makes races fair because it's all about the sailor's skill.
• Development classes allow for new ideas and changes. This helps designers create faster and better boats over time.

The first international one-design boat was the B.R.A. 12-foot dinghy. George Cockshott designed it in 1914 for a lake near Liverpool, England. This design then became popular in many countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and France.

High-Performance Dinghies

A 49er sailing skiff

Some dinghies are built for speed and excitement. These are called high-performance dinghies.

• Sailing Skiffs are one of the hardest types of dinghies to sail. They are small but have very large sails. These sails include a spinnaker, a jib, and a mainsail. Skiffs also have special "wings" called racks and a trapeze. The 49er dinghy, which is an Olympic boat, is a sailing skiff.

A Moth dinghy

• Other fast dinghies include the Flying Dutchman, the International 505, the Fireball, and the Moth. The Moth is especially unique because it often uses hydrofoils, which lift the boat out of the water to go even faster!

Sports Boats

There's also a type of dinghy called a Sports boat. These are larger racing dinghies that have keels. They usually need several people to sail them. Examples include the Melges 24 and Laser SB3.

Dinghy Sailing at the Olympics

A Laser dinghy

Olympic sailing is done entirely in dinghies. The very first sailing Olympics happened in 1900. It took place in Meulan, near Le Havre in France.

Over the years, the types of boats allowed to compete have changed. This is because of new designs and better technology. Today, some of the dinghy classes sailed in the Olympics are:

• The Finn
• The 470
• The 49er
• The Laser
• The Nacra (which is a catamaran, meaning it has two hulls)

Images for kids

• 

  A Contender dinghy on a broad reach.

• 

  A Musto Performance Skiff dinghy on the reach.

• 

  A 49er skiff in a race.

• 

  A Portland Pudgy sailing dinghy.

• 

  An Optimist dinghy, a popular kids' racing dinghy.

See also

In Spanish: Vela ligera para niños