About the Twelve Foot Skiff
The 12ft skiff is a development class that is sailed in NSW, QLD and New Zealand.
The main regattas are the State, Australian and Interdominion championships. NSW also holds interclub regattas during the season at Lane Cove, Saratoga, Abbotsford and the Sydney Flying Squadron.
The major regatta is the Interdominion championships normally held in January, which alternates between Australian and New Zealand. Previous regattas have seen close and tightly fought contests with last years regatta having 7 different heat winners in 8 races. The Interdominion is also well known for the post race activities, most of which are documented in the nightly spinners award, won by the most outrageous "off water" story. This is a highly sought after award.
There are minimal hull measurement rules basically restricting length, beam and weight giving freedom for people to design and build their own boats, with the option also available to buy a "ready to sail" hull. Presently the "Woof" hull shape is predominant but new shapes have been built in QLD and NSW. As the 12's are not a production boat it is the decision of the owner as to who they choose for the Hull, Spars and Sails. See "Technical" section for more information.
It is common for people to buy the components for a boat and build it themselves, or seek assistance from the association. Hulls are Carbon Foam sandwich and have a minimum weight of 45kgs. A well built and maintained hull will be competitive for many years with Tim Bartlett winning a recent interdominions in a seven year old boat. Cherub class hulls comply to the 12ft skiff rules and can competitively be sailed with minor (or no) modifications.
The Majority of boats run 2 or 3 carbon masts with a combination of sails giving 4 rig combinations. This allows the boats to race in 5 - 35 knots enjoyably. At first the cost of multiple sails and gear appears high, however the advantage is the gear lasts for several seasons as the wear and tear is spread across the rigs, and with sail material developments and carbon spars, its common for equipment to last for many years. This also means 2nd hand equipment is still competitive. Most new boat owners spend a season or 2 building up their gear rather than updating it all at once. Good second hand gear is also available, the association is willing to assist those seeking it.
Campaigning a 12 requires a range of skills, including boat handling, tuning, boat maintenance, organisation and training. However, with recent equipment developments, and the introduction of carbon masts, 12's are very manageable boats and any sailor with relative experience, such as cherubs or moths, would quite easily adapt.
Contact the association for any further information.