NSW 12ft Skiff Ass. - 12Ft Skiff Design

12ft Skiff Design

There are minimal hull measurement rules 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. The Woof line plans Download

It is common for people to buy the components for a boat and build it themselves, or seek assistance from the association. How to build a boom Factsheet. 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 some hulls still competitive into their 20's. Cherub class hulls comply with the 12ft skiff rules and can competitively be sailed with minor (or no) modifications. The full Australian measurements can be Download the NSW 12ft skiff measurement rules here and the associated diagrams here. The shortened class measurement which is universal for Australia and New Zealand is here.

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, it is common for equipment to last for many years. This also means second hand equipment is still competitive. Most new boat owners spend a season or two 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.

- Reaching speeds of up to 25 knots
- Mast height 8.8 metres
- Overall length 3.7 metres
- Beam 1.8 metres
- Crewed by two people, both on trapeze
- Light weight 45 kilogram hull
- Three complete rigs (small, medium, large)
- Each skiff is individual, not an off the shelf product
- Simple measurement rules allow design development
- Rig size and design is unrestricted
- The asymmetrical spinnaker is set off a fixed bowsprit