What is a 49er in sailing?
Dave Hall comments: ‘The 49er is the boat by which all others are judged, and it has changed the face of sailing. It has brought skiff sailing to everyone.
How much does a 49er sailboat cost?
The smaller 49er retails for $15,700, about one-third the cost of the bigger boat. At Olympic class selection trials last year on Lake Garda, Italy, the 49er outperformed 15 other designs for the right to become the new double-handed dinghy class for the Sydney Games.
What kind of boat is a 49er?
The 49er and 49er FX is a two-handed skiff-type high-performance sailing dinghy. The two crew work on different roles with the helm making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control.
How fast do 49ers go?
The 49erFX is full of power and begins planing in 10 knots of wind and will reach speeds of just under 25mph.
What is the 49er race?
The 49er FX was developed by Mackay Boats to be a women’s Olympic class. It consists of a 49er hull, wings, and foils, with a scaled down rig designed to suit the weight of an elite female crew. The 29er is a smaller, single trapeze trainer to the 49er.
Who makes the 49er?
Mackay Boats have been building the 49er since it became an Olympic class before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. During this time our boats have gained a reputation for the top workmanship, attention to all details – large and small- and service on this strict One Design boat.
Is the 49er a high performance sailing boat?
The 49er was a quantum leap in terms of high performance Olympic sailing. It still leads the field. It’s a boat that captures the essence of true Olympic athleticism, based on a strict and well proven one design concept.
Is there a difference between the 49er and 49erFX?
It is easy to run joint training and racing with both the 49er and 49erFX. There is very little difference in performance between the 2 boats. The FX will have popular support from weekend warrior and youth sailors who find the 49er too much of a handful. FX fleets will be large.
Can a 49er sailboat be sailed in the Olympics?
49ER hull with slightly smaller rig for lighter sailors. To be sailed as a separate class (from 49ER) in 2016 Olympics.
Which is the best rig for the 49er class?
The FX rig is perfectly suited to the 49er hull. The performance is outstanding. The hulls, wings and foils are made by established Olympic Class boat builders – Ovington Boats, McConaghy Boats and MacKay Boats. All well experienced in the manufacture of strict one design boats.