| A yacht (From Dutch Jacht meaning | | | | vessels can be quite complex in design, |
| "hunt") was originally defined as a | | | | as designers try to find a balance |
| light, fast sailing vessel used to | | | | between docile handling qualities, |
| convey important persons. | | | | interior space, good light-wind |
| In later parlance, the definition came | | | | performance and on-board comfort. The |
| to cover a wider range of vessels, | | | | huge range of such craft, from dozens of |
| propelled by sail, power, or both and | | | | builders worldwide make it hard to give |
| used for pleasure cruising and/or yacht | | | | a single illustrative description. |
| racing. Often, non-sailing yachts are | | | | However, most favour a teardrop-planform |
| also referred to as motor yachts, to | | | | hull, with a wide, flat bottom and deep |
| differentiate them from yachts designed | | | | single-fin keel to give good stability. |
| for use with sail power. | | | | Most are single-mast 'Bermudan sloop' |
| Sailing yachts fall into four basic | | | | rigged vessels, with a single fore-sail |
| categories: 'Day Sailing', 'Weekender', | | | | (of the 'jib' or 'Genoa') type and a |
| 'Cruiser' and 'Racer'. | | | | single mainsail. Spinnaker sails, with |
| Day Sailing yachts | | | | huge areas, are often supplied for |
| Day Sailing yachts are small sub-6 metre | | | | lightwind use. These types are often |
| (20 foot) vessels. Sometimes called | | | | chosen as family vessels, especially |
| dinghies, they often have a retractable | | | | those in the 8 to 12 metre (32 to 40 ft) |
| keel, centerboard, or daggerboard. Day | | | | range. Such a vessel will usually have |
| sailing yachts do not have a cabin as | | | | many rooms below deck. Typically there |
| they are designed for hourly or daily | | | | will be 3 double-berth cabins, a single |
| use and not for ovenight journeys. | | | | large saloon (galley, seating and |
| Day sailing yachts are not necessarily | | | | navigation area) and a 'head' (toilet |
| sub 6 meter vessels, and they are not | | | | shower-room). The interior will be |
| dinghies, and they sometimes do have | | | | finished in wood panelling, with plenty |
| cabins which will allow for cooking and | | | | of storage space. Cruisers are quite |
| sleeping. Please see the Morris website, | | | | capable of taking on long-range passages |
| reference Morris 42 daysailer. | | | | of many thousands of miles, so have |
| Weekender yachts | | | | large freshwater tanks. Such boats have |
| Weekender yachts are small, sub-9.5 | | | | a cruising speed of around 10 km/h. This |
| metre (30 foot) vessels. They often have | | | | basic design is typical of the standard |
| twin-keels or lifting keels. This allows | | | | types produced by the major |
| them to operate in shallow waters, and | | | | yacht-builders. Most large luxury yachts |
| if needed 'dry out' – become beached | | | | (15m+, 50 feet+) are also cruisers, but |
| as the tide falls, the hull shape (or | | | | their design varies greatly as they are |
| twin-keel layout) allows the boat to sit | | | | usually 'one off' designs to the |
| upright when there is no water. Such | | | | specific needs of the buyer. |
| boats are designed to undertake short | | | | Racing yachts |
| journeys, rarely lasting more than 2 to | | | | Inshore yacht racing in Sydney Harbour, |
| 3 days (hence their name). Of course, in | | | | AustraliaRacing yachts try to reduce the |
| coastal areas long trips may be | | | | wetted surface area (which creates drag) |
| undertaken in a series of short hops. | | | | by keeping the hull light whilst having |
| Weekenders usually only have a simple | | | | a deep and heavy bulb keel, allowing |
| cabin, often consisting of a single | | | | them to support a tall mast with a great |
| 'saloon', with bedspace for 2-3 people, | | | | sail area. Modern designs tend to have a |
| and clever use of ergonomics to allow | | | | very wide beam, with a flat bottom, to |
| both galley (kitchen) space, seating and | | | | provide buoyancy preventing an excessive |
| space for navigation equipment. There is | | | | heel angle. Speeds of up to 40 mph can |
| limited space for large stores of water | | | | be obtained in good conditions. |
| food. Weekenders tend to be slower | | | | Dedicated racing yachts sacrifice crew |
| vessels due to their small sail area, | | | | comfort for speed, having basic |
| and due to their small size they can be | | | | accommodation to reduce weight. |
| overwhelmed by heavy seas. Most are | | | | Depending on the type of race, such a |
| single-mast 'Bermudan sloop' rigged | | | | yacht may be crewed by as many as 15 |
| vessels, with a single foresail (of the | | | | people. At the other extreme there are |
| 'jib' or 'genoa') type and a single | | | | 'single handed' races, where one person |
| mainsail. Some are gaff rigged. The | | | | alone must control the yacht. Yacht |
| smallest of this type--generally called | | | | races may be over a simple course of |
| pocket yachts or pocket cruisers can be | | | | only a few miles, or epic trans-global |
| trailed on special trailers behind | | | | contests such as the Global Challenge |
| vehicles to transport them by road. | | | | and Clipper Round the World Race. Ocean |
| Cruiser yachts | | | | racing yachts have very good |
| Cruisers are by the far the most common | | | | sea-handling qualities, as they must be |
| in private usage, making up most of the | | | | able to maintain good speeds in all but |
| 7 m to 14 m (23 to 46 ft) range. These | | | | the heaviest conditions. |