A 16ft skiff is a class of three-person sailing

Sailing

Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...

 dinghy

Dinghy

A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...

 with a twin trapeze and a large asymmetric spinnaker

Spinnaker

A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...

. The class is unique to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, where it is one of the most popular boats sailing with 135 boats registered in 12 clubs.

History

The class has been around for over a century and has changed significantly since its beginnings:
1901
Class founded in Balmain

Balmain, New South Wales

Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....

1908

Class expands to Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

1922

Class spreads to Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

1976

Rules change to allow any material for hull

1986

Three man crew introduced

1997-98

Stick class rules were introduced

Class specifications

• Overall length—4.88 metres (16 ft)

• Min beam—1.52 metres (5 ft)

• Max beam—1.78 metres (5.8 ft)

• Min weight—70 kilograms (154 lb)

• Working sail area—22 square metres (236.8 sq ft)

• Spinnaker sail area—45 square metres (484.4 sq ft)

• Racing crew—Three

External links

• Skiffs.org.au
• Yachte.com.au