| Small sailboats are from about 10 to 18 feet in length | | | | like, moving the lever to any point from fully up to |
| (3 to 6 metres). Small sailboats are often called sailing | | | | fully down. |
| dinghies, because almost all have open cockpits | | | | The reason that the position of the centerboard or |
| without any cabins. They are usually made from | | | | dagger board is important is that these small sailboats |
| either marine plywood or fiberglass - the big | | | | are used mostly for racing, and you want the |
| manufacturers use fiberglass, but wood is used for | | | | maximum performance you can get. If you are just |
| some boats, particularly if they are sold in kits. | | | | going out for a sail in a small sailboat, leave the |
| Small sailboats are ideal for learning to sail -much | | | | centerboard fully down except when you come back |
| better than a bigger boat because things happen | | | | to the beach, or of course if you run aground. |
| quicker, and you learn to respond to changes in the | | | | Small sailboats are a lo to fun to sail, cost little, are |
| wind and sea. I recommend that anyone interested in | | | | robust, and as they are kept out of the water |
| sailing starts with a small sailboat. | | | | require very little maintenance. The Lasers, Streakers |
| Among wooden small sailboats are the Mirror, | | | | and Europa are among those that have 'cat' rigs - |
| Streaker and GP14 all designed by Jack Holt, while | | | | just one sail, like a mainsail on a normal Bermudian rig. |
| the Topper, Lasers and Yamaha small sailboats are all | | | | They can still sail very fast, and can be sailed easily |
| fiberglass. There is a whole range of small Laser | | | | single-handed. They are used for single-handed racing. |
| sailboats. Waverleys were made from plywood in the | | | | Most other small sailboats have a Bermudian rig, |
| early days, but are now all fiberglass. Most 420s and | | | | usually with a small jib and fairly large mainsail. The |
| 470s are fiberglass. | | | | exception is the Mirror Dinghy which has a gunter rig |
| Centerboard or dagger board | | | | - the mainsail is hoisted up the mast and a spar that |
| Because small sailboats are usually launched from the | | | | goes almost vertically from the top of the mast. The |
| beach, you need a retractable keel, so and all have | | | | shape of the sails is almost the same as the |
| centerboards or dagger boards - these are types of | | | | Bermudian, but this rig was chosen because the mast |
| lifting keels. You need the keel to counteract the | | | | is shorter making the boat easier to store at home |
| force of the wind which is trying to push the boar | | | | and transport to the water. |
| over. In a small boat, you have to lean out to | | | | Small sailboats come is all sizes, shapes and weights. |
| counterbalance the force of the wind when sailing to | | | | Some are built with a gaff rig, some with the gunter |
| windward. Sailing to windward is when are at an angle | | | | rig, some with cat rigs, and most with Bermudian rigs |
| of about 45 degrees to 75 degrees from the wind. | | | | - there are even some with two masts, each with a |
| The dagger board is a keel that is just raised or | | | | cat rig. |
| lowered by hand, being pushed down or pulled up | | | | The great thing about small sailboat is that you can |
| vertically in its housing in the small sailboat. It is very | | | | take it from the boat store or from your home to |
| simple, and is usually held in position by a pin - fully up | | | | the shore easily and launch it single handed. This |
| when running before the wind, maybe halfway down | | | | hardly takes any time - and then you are sailing. |
| when the wind is on the aft quarter, and with it fully | | | | Mostly, small sailboats are used for racing, or for |
| down when beating to windward. | | | | short cruises of a couple of hours, but some people |
| A centerboard is a type of lifting keel used on most | | | | have cruised across oceans in modified small sailboats |
| small sailboats. It pivots in a housing, and has an lever | | | | like the Waverley and Drascombe. |
| projecting from the top end. When the centerboard | | | | So if you want to get a sailboat and have limited |
| is raised, the lever is right forward and you pull it | | | | funds - or no experience - I recommend you buy a |
| back to lower it - with this arrangement, you can | | | | small sailboat. |
| have as much of the centerboard lowered as you | | | | |