The Dabchick is a South African youth sailing dinghy that is raced two up or single-handed. A Bermuda rigged boat, it has a mainsail and jib. Its hull is very shallow and its skipper sits on its flat deck. This hard chined scow was designed by Jack Köper[1] in 1955.[2] Since they were published in 1956, nearly 3,500[2] plans have been issued to builders, and over 4,000 boats have been built.[3] It is usually sailed by young crew with teenager skipper instead of the Optimist, before moving into higher performance classes.
| Boat | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Hull | |
| Hull weight | 38.6 kilograms (85 lb) |
| LOA | 3.607 metres (11 ft 10.0 in) |
| Beam | 1.150 metres (3 ft 9.3 in) |
| Sails | |
| Upwind sail area | 5.57 square metres (60.0 sq ft) |
Design and construction
editFor decades, Dabchicks all were built of marine plywood. Though fiberglass boats are now being built, dozens of wooden boats are still being sailed competitively.[2] At the 2007 AGM, the class rules were modified to allow Mylar sails with a full length top batten.[2]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Preedy, Roy (1979). Dinghy Sailing in South Africa. Cape Town: Purnell and Sons. ISBN 9780868430263.
- ^ a b c d "About the Dabchick". www.Dabchick.za.net. Dabchick Association of South Africa. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
- ^ sailboatdata.com. "DABCHICK sailboat specifications and details". Retrieved 21 November 2015.