Etchells (boat class)
| Notation | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Boat dimensions | |
| Length above : | 9.30 m |
| Length WL : | 6.71 m |
| Width above sea level : | 2.13 m |
| Draft : | 1.37 m |
| Mast height : | 10.60 m |
| Weight (ready to sail): | 1508 kg |
| Weight (ballast, keel): | 987 kg |
| Sail area | |
| Sail area close to the wind : | 27.62 m² |
| Mainsail : | 17.36 m² |
| Jib : | 10.26 m² |
| Spinnaker : | 37.0 m² |
| Others | |
| Rigging type: | Sloop |
| Yardstick number : | 97 |
| Class : | International |
Etchells is the name of an open 3-man sailboat class that was recognized by the then International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as an international keelboat class and one-size-fits-all class .
The Etchells was designed in 1966 by the US yacht designer Skip Etchells from Greenwich (Connecticut) . The boat class was known until 1990 under the name "Etchells 22" or "E22", where the 22 referred to the waterline length (LWL) of 22 feet . The Etchells boat class quickly became very popular with sailors and the international class association is organized in over 50 fleets worldwide.
History of the Etchells
In 1965, the yacht publication “Yachting Magazin” sponsored a design competition based on the specifications of the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU - today: World Sailing) when looking for a new 3-man keelboat for the Olympic sailing competitions . Skip Etchells had followed the design competition with interest, but it was only when real races were scheduled on the Baltic Sea off Kiel in the fall of 1966 that he decided to design a yacht and compete in Kiel with a prototype called Shillalah , sailed by himself. At the competition different boat classes like Soling , Conqueror, Thrice, Ander and Kobold took part. Of the ten races sailed, Shillalah won eight.
Because they could not agree on a winner, the jury decided to organize a new sighting regatta off Travemünde in 1967 and to invite the 5.5 meter class and the kites . Skip Etchells built a plastic yacht based on his wooden boat Shillalah . Of the 13 races held, Shillalah II won ten races. Skip Etchells missed an eleventh victory by just one second and thus became the undisputed overall winner of the selection regatta. The decision in favor of the Soling as a 3-man keelboat for the Olympic sailing competitions remained inexplicable after the regatta results. One possible reason was the relatively high price of Etchell's construction at $ 6,800. The conclusion of the sighting regatta was the enormous superiority of the majority of the new constructions over the established keelboat classes. The brand new 5.5 meter class was clearly beaten by Etchell's design and the dragons were clearly last in the points ranking.
After the Shillalah II returned to the USA in 1967, the active sailors George Cane, James Fulton and David Larr from the Long Island Sound sailing area convinced other friends a total of 12 boats at the shipyard of Skip Etchells, the "Old Greenwich Boat Company" in Old Greenwich, Connecticut to order for delivery in the summer of 1968. Since the 1950s, the boatyard had acquired an excellent reputation for building particularly fast star boats.
A class association was formed immediately and the new keelboat was named "E22" after the waterline length of 22 feet . Strict one-class regulations were agreed and a regatta calendar was agreed for 1968. By 1969 a total of 36 boats had been built at the “Old Greenwich Boat Company” shipyard, and later the “Tillotson-Pearson” company formed hulls for Etchells.
In 1972 the "E22" received international status from the IYRU and was recognized as an international class on July 1, 1974 with the class regulations, measurement regulations and standard class specifications.
In 1990 the class officially changed its name to "International Etchells" and "International Etchells Class Association". This involved a change in the sailing symbol . The new logo was confirmed in 1996.
Today the open 3-man keelboat is sailed with more than 1,200 units in over 50 countries. Large fleets start in the USA , Great Britain , New Zealand and Australia - with a few exceptions, the world champions come from these countries. The Australian fleet is particularly active at the moment.
Quotes
"The Etchells is the best proof that officials have no idea about sailing boats!"
construction
The Etchells is a very fast, open keelboat which, as a stiff (upright) sailing, slup-rigged boat, can be safely mastered in regattas with a crew of three to four men. The yacht cruises at an angle of 70 degrees against the wind and reacts very sensitively to trim changes on the rigging and sails.
She has a sleek hull shape with a low wetted surface, which gives her very good light wind properties. In stronger winds it glides very quickly. The sail wardrobe consists of a mainsail , jib and spinnaker . The Etchells yachts are easy to transport on a boat trailer between regattas.
The strict one- size- fits-all regulations are monitored by a well-organized class association . The high standard of construction and the absolute equality of the boats are carefully checked. The class association licenses together with the International Sailing Federation only three boat builders worldwide:
- Ontario Yachts in Burlington, Ontario , Canada: has been building Etchells since 1975
- Pacesetter Etchells P / L in New South Wales , Australia: licensed since 1996
- David Heritage Racing Yachts, based in Cowes , Isle of Wight , England: licensed since 2005
Regattas
The very good sailing characteristics of the Etchells attract many prominent regatta sailors, such as:
World championships
Web links
- SailboatData: Etchells Class , (English)
- Tim Etchells: History of the Etchells, Sailing World, 05/2000 (English)
- Official Etchells website
- Etchells ISAF 2009 Class Report (PDF; 16 kB)
- Etchell's sail plan (PDF) (98 kB)
- International Sailing Federation
- Harken: trimming tips
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fit old lady, history: “Etchells” lost the Olympic duel against the Soling in 1966 and is still alive. In: SegelReporter. March 19, 2013, accessed April 1, 2020 .
- ^ A Brief History of the Etchells Class (English) Retrieved March 10, 2009
- ↑ ISAF licensed builders (English) Retrieved March 10, 2009
- ↑ Audi Etchells Worlds 2009: Results ( Memento from March 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (English)