49er (dinghy)
Class symbol
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| Crew | 2 (double trapeze) |
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| Draft | 1,447 mm (4 ft 9 in) |
| Hull weight | 94 kg (207 lb) |
| LOA | 4,876 mm (16 ft) |
| Beam | without wings: 1,752 mm (5 ft 9 in) with wings: 2,743 mm (9 ft 0 in) |
| Spinnaker area | 37.16 m2 (400 sq ft) |
| Upwind Sail Area | 19.97 m2 (215 sq ft) |
| D-PN | 68.2 |
| RYA PN | 710 |
| Current Olympic Equipment | |
The 49er and 49er FX is a two-handed skiff-type high-performance sailing dinghy. The two crew work on different roles with the helm making many tactical decisions, as well as steering, and the crew doing most of the sail control. Both of the crew are equipped with their own trapeze and sailing is handled while "flying".
The 49er was designed by Julian Bethwaite, the son of Frank Bethwaite, designer of the Tasar and the popular Laser 2 classes. The boat was selected by the International Sailing Federation after a series of trials for a high performance two person skiff and has been in every olympics since its debut in Sydney Olympics of 2000.
The 49er's name comes from its hull length of 4.99 metres. It incorporates ideas developed in Julian Bethwaite's 18ft Skiffs, notably the Prime Computer series of boats, which were double handers.
For a controllable and fast gust response, the mast was carefully tuned to deflect from the top downwards with an increase in wind speed, causing the upper main to twist, reducing the heeling moment. The use of solid wings, rather than tubes as on similar boats (RS800 etc.), aids sailors new to the world of skiff racing while facilitating rapid movement across the 49er during maneuvers.
The 49er made its first Olympic appearance at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and has continued to grow in popularity ever since.
With a Portsmouth yardstick Handicap of 710 the 49er is the fastest two person one-design monohull dinghy.
In 2009 the boat received a new rig design, including a larger fully carbon mast (replacing the aluminum mast) and square top (roach) mainsail.
As a one design class, the 49er has two licensed suppliers, Mackay Boats and Ovington. They are made of Epoxy GRP and foam sandwich laminate with carbon fibre in high load areas. It includes a single hull with two solid wings, also called racks, that clip into the side to generate massive righting moment. The design of the bottom allows the boat to be able to plane easier with less drag to reach high speeds. According to the International 49er class rules, the minimum hull weight including all permanent fittings can not be less than 94.0 kg.
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Wikipedia