Sharpie
| Notation | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Boat dimensions | |
| Length above : | 5.99 m |
| Width above sea level : | 1.43 m |
| Weight (ready to sail): | min. 320 kg |
| Sail area | |
| Sail area close to the wind : | approx. 17 m² |
| Others | |
| Rigging type: | Sloop |
| Yardstick number : | 109 |
| Class : | one design |
The international 12-m-unity Sharpie is a two-man one-design - Regatta - dinghy and one of the oldest unit classes that are still virtually unchanged sailed today.
history
In 1930, the German Sailing Association (DSV) decided to tender a design for a new type of sailing dinghy. This sailing dinghy should have a sail area of 12 m², be easy and quick to build and, if possible, be affordable for everyone.
The " Yacht- und Bootswerft Gebr. Kröger " founded in 1928 in Warnemünde on the Baltic Sea - from which the Warnowwerft emerged after World War II and expropriation - won this competition against 34 competitors with their 12 m² Sharpie. After this success, the shipyard received eight orders from Great Britain and ten from Germany. At the end of the 1931 sailing season, 28 Sharpies were already registered with the DSV and a total of 39 Sharpies were exported to Great Britain and the Netherlands, where this type of boat received particular attention. A dozen construction licenses were issued in the aforementioned countries - Brazil and Turkey also showed interest in the boat. At Abeking & Rasmussen around a hundred Sharpie dinghies were built between 1931 and 1935 alone, 45 of which were delivered to Holland, England and Ireland by 1934. The rest went to Germany, from 1934 mainly to the Navy and Air Force. In 1938, 33 boats were registered with the naval regatta club. These large series enabled prices of around 600 to 700 Reichsmarks .
In 1938, 238 Sharpies were registered with the German Sailing Association. The class also spread to Austria, Portugal, Australia and Brazil. During the Kieler Woche 1936 Sharpie dinghies took part in the races taking place in Kiel for the first time . In 1939 the class received international status.
During the Second World War , construction and sailing activities in Germany were initially interrupted. In Germany, a number of boats were confiscated by the Allies for ambitious sailors after the war. Hamburg and the coastal areas were mainly affected by this action. After the end of the war in 1945, there were initially no further new buildings in Germany. The Sharpie scene developed only slowly on the Outer Alster and the Einfelder See .
Outstanding, however, was the self-construction of six boats in Emden in 1949. In the GDR there were around twelve boats that were mainly sailed on the Mecklenburg Lake District and the waters of Berlin . At the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956 , the Sharpie was Olympic and was sailed in Australia in the two-man dinghy category.
The Sharpie today
There are currently four European countries with active class organizations. These are the Netherlands (about 80 boats), Great Britain (about 50 boats), Portugal (about 30 boats) and Germany (about 20 boats). Since 1964 (Portugal joined in 1984) these four countries have alternately hosted an open, unofficial European championship with a current number of participants of more than 60 boats. In 2007 the Sharpie “EURO” took place in Weymouth , the English Olympic area from 2012, 53 boats from five nations took part. In Germany today the Sharpie has the status of "Registered Class" with the DSV.
particularities
The 12 m² Sharpie is the only international one-size-fits-all class that is still being built as a solid wood boat. This means that there are no divisions or divisions within the class. Older boats can also become full-fledged, high-performance regatta boats after they have been properly repaired. The simple, clear construction, which makes it easier to replace red boat parts, has a supporting effect. Modern fittings, materials, sheets , traps, epoxy resins for gluing and molding the planks and sails made of modern, woven cloth are permitted according to the applicable building regulations.
The Sharpie has a steep gaff rig or Gunter rig made of solid wood. The relatively short mast with a length of 4.85 m and the long, straight gaff of 3.38 m in length are characteristic of this type of rigging .
With the Sharpie, it is not the sails that are measured, but the spars and hole points.