New Blog 2: 470 Sailboat

Tuesday 13 November 2012

470 Sailboat

The 470 (Four-Seventy) is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. The name is the overall length of the boat in centimetres (i.e., the boat is 4.70 metres long). The hull is fibreglass with integral buoyancy tanks. The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to sail it well. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, and is designed to plane easily.The 470 is a popular class with both individuals and sailing schools, offering a good introduction to igherformance boats without being excessively difficult to handle. It is not a boat designed for beginners; ever, its earlier ned smaller sister, the 420, is a stepping stone to the 470. The 470 is an nternational Sailing ederationnternational Class and has been an Olympic class since the 1976 games. The Class was initially an open class, but since the 1988 games there have been separate events for men and women.World and Continental Championships are organized every year with separate starts for women and men/mixed teams. There is also a dhampionship for juniors and a Master World Championship. The 470 is used in regional championships such as the Asian, Mediterranean, and PanAm Games. Entries are limited in important international races, encouraging more competition by requiring qualifying races in most countries.