Flying Dutchman (dinghy)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions.(December 2007)

The Flying Dutchman (FD) is a high-performance class of racing dinghy. It has a round-bilged hull, a hiking strap for the skipper, and a trapeze for the crew. It can fly a mainsail, a roller furling 150% genoa, and can launch and retrieve a spinnaker from a spinnaker chute. Modern FDs also have a continuous trapeze system, and a spinnaker pole launching system.

The FD is one of the fastest trapeze dinghies in the world, even after 50 years of sailing [1]! It is nearly 20 feet long and dwarfs many peer boats for its sheer size and performance. The FD is also said to be a fantastic sea boat allowing complete confidence in her crews ability to control her in even the most demanding of conditions^{[citation needed]}.

The Flying Dutchman is a 19-foot, 10-inch long racing dinghy. It is light, typically weighing less than the two people sailing it; and with a single trapeze and plenty of sail area, it is fast: it still holds the title of fastest dinghy to the weather mark. It carries three sails: a mainsail, a 200% genoa, and a generous spinnaker. Its light weight and large sail area allows it to plane easily upwind. The FD has been the basis for many important innovations in sailing over the past half century. For example, the FD was the first to use the flying trapeze, a feature commonly found on catamarans today. Other innovations include the roller furling jib, windward sheeting traveller, spinnaker socks, pole launchers, and composite construction. These innovations have happened because the FD is an open class, where development is allowed. This means details like hull shape, weight, sail area and a few other key areas are controlled, but you are free to rig the boat anyway you please.

However, this freedom comes at a cost: The FD is nowadays one of if not the most expensive sailing dinghy (on a competitive level), which makes it unattractive especially for younger sailors without strong economic background. Especially the recent (2005) go ahead for usage of carbon fiber materials for mast, rudder and centerboard have boosted the price.

[edit] History

It was in the late 1940's that the IYRU instigated a new modern 2-man international dinghy, the Tornado. She was not a success as there was no leap forward compared to the existing pre-war classes.

The Royal Loosdrecht Yacht Club, Conrad Gulcher's club, obtained half a dozen Tornados and found them very uninspiring, Conrad had always been very interested in dinghy sailing and had collected any documentation connected with it. Pre-war he had enjoyed some international sailing in Germany and the UK and he had made many friends in the dinghy sailing scene. He imagined that with modern construction methods, moulded ply, a better boat could be constructed.

Being an Insurance Broker and not a designer he enlisted the help of Uus Van Essen, a naval architect and measures for the Dutch Yacht Federation. They made a preliminary design and early in September 1951 it was sent to 30 top class helmsmen in Europe including Bossom (Z), John Cahmier (K), Charles Curry (K), Manfried Curry (G), Ferry Laagwater (H),Stewart Morris (K), Morits Skaugen (N) and Shorty Trimingham (KZB), with the request to comment within two weeks.

The measurements were similar to the 15m2 Wanderjolle of mid-European lakes and popular Flying Fifteen. By the end of September 23 responses had been returned with sufficient new and sound ideas to redesign the boat.

Mr. Loeff, chairman of the CBC, was prepared to discuss the boat at the November meeting of the IYRU, only when he had seen her sail! This was hardly feasible but Conrad had the mould and hull built in one week and the boat finished in another! Complete with the Tornado rig it took to the water against the 12m2 Sharpie and Tornado at Loosdrecht one week before the IYRU meetings and Mr Loeff took the plans to the IYRU for discussion.

Then it was decided to hold trials in the summer of 1952 in Holland and the name was born, suggested by Sir Peter Scott, the then president of the IYRU, the Flying Dutchman.

The trials were held on the Loodrecht lakes and on the open water of the Zuiderzee at Muiden. 17 boats participated, some especially designed like the Osprey and Typhoon, others were existing classes including Hornet, Caneton, Thistle, Sharpie, Rennjolle, etc.

The results were clear and the Flying Dutchman (FD) was adopted; however with the limitation "for continental lakes only" and another set of trials was set up for 1953 at La Baule on the open sea.

In the mean time the small jib was replaced with the Genoa and a trapeze was added.

At La Baule there were again specially designed boats such as the Coronet, a smaller version of which later became the 505. Off the wind the Coronet with her bigger spinnaker and mainsail was faster (this is not just a recent problem!) but on the wind the FD won.

It was clear that the FD did very well on the open sea and the "lakes" limitation was lifted. The Class started to blossom thanks to the promotional activities of Conrad through the Bulletin and a well structured Class Organisation.

By the 1960's there were fleets in all sorts of places such as the Lebanon, 25 in Morocco, 20 in Portuguese East Africa, Argentina, Venezuela, Thailand, apart from those in Europe, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

In 1956 the FD participated (Conrad and Bob Boeschoten) in the cross-channel race from Folkestone to Boulogne and was the fastest two-man dinghy in the race.

In 1957 the FD was selected to replace the Sharpie at the 1960 Olympic Games in Naples. In 1959 The Class President Slotty Dawes was presented a cup for the FD Week. The Week, with its unlimited number of boats were allowed from each country, this proved very successful. The Week was very competitive whilst remaining friendly, competitors lent each other sails! (no equipment limitation in those days!) and was well supported, in 1965 126 boats from 24 nations took part.

The FD rules were tailored to have one design speed factors i.e. hull shape and weight, foil shapes and sails restricted and the rest left open to encourage development. As new ideas have evolved they have often been taken up by other classes, e.g. trapeze, spinnaker chute, double floor construction, windows in sails and numerous developments in fittings and even personal sail numbers.

The one design was guaranteed by the very simple, and consequently cheap and easily repeatable measurement system defined by Uss van Essen and born of his experiences as professional KNWV measurer.

Many well known yachtsman have had a spell in the FD for example Mark Bethwaite, the deKleer brothers, the Diesch brothers, [Paul Elvstrom], Hans Foch, Ben Lexcen, Cam Lewis, Peder Lunde, Stewart Morris, Keith Musto, Andre Nelis, Yves and Marc Pajot, Rodney Pattison, Harry Dunning, Ralph Roberts, Bruno Trouble, Ted Turner, Mike Macnamara, John Loveday, Jo Richards, Roger Yeoman, Will Henderson, Peter White, Pat Blake, Jon Turner and David Wilkins.

Like many classes over the last few years there has been a decline in the active Flying Dutchman sailors but this has been reversed and the class is growing again.

[edit] External links

• International Flying Dutchman Class Home Page
• California and west coast FD class Home Page
• dutchmam dutchman Class Sailing Race Results Website