Yacht Definitions
Simple yachting definitions
A sailing yacht can vary in overall length from about 20 feet to well over 300 feet.
However, most privately owned yachts fall on the range of about 20 feet to about 50 feet.
Yachts above 30 m or 90 feet tend to be described as Superyachts.
Monohull yachts are typically fitted with a fixed or adjustable keel below the waterline to counterbalance the overturning force of wind on the vessel's sails.
By contrast, Multihull yachts (a Catamaran for example) use two or more hulls separated from each other to provide a stable base that resists overturning.
The yacht that Ellen Mcarthur crossed the globe in for example was a trimaran. (pictured right).
Apart from the monohulls, multihulls and catamarans described above, sailing yachts are also described by the configuration of their masts.
In this regards, there are a variety of distinct types, and each has their own characteristics. Some are very common, others are rarely seen, but all have their enthusiasts. As you look through the pages of the 'Boats for Sale' classifieds, you'll frequently see these terms.
Sloop
A single-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing boat with a short standing bowsprit or none at all and a single headsail set from the forestay.
The most common type of yacht these days it has the basic design for most modern boats. A sloop will also usually carry a spinnaker for going downwind.
Ketch
A two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with a mizzenmast stepped aft of a taller mainmast but forward of the rudder.
If it has two masts it is a ketch or a yawl. With a ketch the mast is in front of the rudder. Usually very elegant boats they can be a bit of a handfull to sail.
Yawl
A two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel similar to the ketch but having a smaller jigger- or mizzenmast stepped abaft the rudder. Also called dandy.
The yawl is a fairly distinctive boat, usually having a small mast perched on the stern. Often these are seen out in gale force winds with only the storm jib and the mizzenmast rigged.
Schooner
A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts.
The ketch and yawl both have two masts, but the smaller mast is usually at the stern. With the schooner the smaller mast is usually forward. Usually schooners are Tall Ships, or luxury yachts.
Until the 1950s almost all yachts were made of wood but nowadays fibreglass, steel and alluminium are frequently used in construction.
Modern yachts have efficient sails that allow them to sail into the wind. This capability is the result of a sail plan and hull design (typically a sloop rig) that utilizes Bernoulli's principle to generate lift.
Unlike sailing yachts, motor yachts depend upon mechanical means for propulsion. These are more expensive to operate than sailing vessels due to fuel costs and the large engines typically used. A more economical hybrid type of vessel is a motor sailing yacht that can use either sail or motor propulsion (or both) as conditions dictate.
Popular yachting spots:
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Fremantle , Western Australia
- Cowes , Isle of Wight
- Hamble , Hampshire, England
- Tollesbury , Essex, England
- The French Riviera
- The Caribbean
- Ft. Lauderdale , Florida
- San Francisco Bay , California
- Newport Beach, California
- Newport, Rhode Island
- West Coast of Scotland
- Hong Kong
Racing - yachting as a sport
Whilst sailing's invention is prehistoric, racing sailing boats is believed to have started in the Netherlands some time in the 17th century , whence it soon made its way to England where custom-built racing "yachts" began to emerge.
In 1851, a challenge to an American yacht racing club in New York led to the beginning of the America's Cup , a regatta won by the New York Yacht Club until 1983, when they finally lost to Australia II . Meanwhile, yacht racing continued to evolve, with the development of recognised classes of racing yachts, from small dinghies up to maxi yachts.
These days, yacht racing and dinghy racing are common participant sports around the developed world, particularly where favourable wind conditions and access to reasonably sized bodies of water are available. Most yachting is conducted in salt water, but smaller craft can be - and are - raced on lakes and even large rivers.
Whilst there are many different types of racing vessels, they can generally be separated into the larger yachts, which are larger and contain facilities for extended voyages, and smaller harbour racing craft such as dinghies and skiffs.
Dinghy Races are conducted on sheltered water on smaller craft, usually designed for crews of between one and three people. They are almost all equipped with one mast. Some have only one triangular sail, but most have two configured as a sloop, and usually carry a spinnaker, a large, bulging sail designed for sailing "with the wind". Most races are conducted between vessels of identical design ("one design" racing). In these races, with identical equipment the sailors best able to make use of the ambient conditions win.
Dinghy designs vary from small, stable, and slow craft for novice sailors to lightweight, high-speed designs that are very difficult for even experienced crews to sail safely and effectively. Australia's 18-foot skiff class are the fastest monohull dinghies, reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour even in relatively light winds. Sailing has a reputation for being a boring spectator sport, but skiff racing can be very exciting, particularly in unpredictable conditions where crews struggle to keep their boats upright. Various multi-hull racing classes are even faster.
