Sportsboat

The term sportsboat first appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s to describe high performance Trailer yachts with major compromises in accommodation and weight.

Size of most sportsboats is widely considered to be between 5.5m - 8m.

They tend to be characterised by large sail areas especially downwind, light weight construction, heavy reliance on crew weight and usually lifting keels with bulbs for righting moment. Almost all sportsboats are self righting.

Rules currently used to rate sportsboats include sportsboat rule and individual country rule systems such as the New Zealand Sportsboat box rule. Some boats uses trapezes, racks and wings to increase performance. Heavier designs such as the SB3, J80, Flying Tiger and Platu are very competitive in handicap racing, but are significantly slower compared to the lightweight racers.

Popular one design boat designs include the Melges 24, Viper 640, Elliot 7, Open 5.7 and Hobie Magic 25. More recently, New Zealand and Australian designs have become increasingly popular including various designs by Thompson, the Phuket 8 by Duncanson and the Shaw 650 and others by Rob Shaw.

The Australian Sports Boat Association is now the body that represents Sport Boat Sailing is Australia. The Association is fully affiliated with Yachting Australia and aims to regulate and promote the racing of sports boats at regattas throughout Australia.

The Association was incorporated in 2007 and membership continues to grow with members in every state of Australia. The Association represents a myriad of sports boats including Thompson 7's, 750's and 8's, Elliot 7's and 780's, Stealth 7's and 8's, Melges 24's, Hobie Magic 25's and a host of other sports boat designs.

More information can be found at www.asba.org.au & www.magic25.yachting.org.au