Etchells
 | |
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | E. W. Etchells |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1966 |
| Builder(s) | Sydney Yachts in Australia Ontario Yachts Robertson and Sons Ltd. David Heritage Racing Yachts Petticrows Limited |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 3,325 lb (1,508 kg) |
| Draft | 4.50 ft (1.37 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 30.50 ft (9.30 m) |
| LWL | 22.00 ft (6.71 m) |
| Beam | 7.00 ft (2.13 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel |
| Ballast | 2,175 lb (987 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | skeg-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 27.60 ft (8.41 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 8.00 ft (2.44 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 32.50 ft (9.91 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 11.50 ft (3.51 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 186.88 sq ft (17.362 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 110.40 sq ft (10.256 m2) |
| Total sail area | 297.28 sq ft (27.618 m2) |
The International Etchells Class is a racing class of one-design sailing boats.
Designed by American E. W. Etchells, the boat has been built by Sydney Yachts in Australia, Ontario Yachts in Canada, as well as by Robertson and Sons Ltd., David Heritage Racing Yachts and Petticrows Limited, all in the United Kingdom.[1]
History
In 1965, Yachting Magazine launched a competition to select a new three man Olympic keelboat. E. W. "Skip" Etchells, a boat designer, builder and sailor, was interested in the competition, but refrained from producing a design until the trials were announced. However, once the details became available, he built the wooden Shillalah, taking her to Kiel, Germany, where the trials were to be held in the fall of 1966.[2][3]
Shillalah performed well at the trials, winning eight of the ten races. Nevertheless, the judges were unable to agree on a winner, and thus a second set of trials were held in Travemünde the following year. For these trials Etchells rebuilt the boat in fiberglass, using the original Shillalah as a plug. As with the first trials, Shillalah II (as the new boat was named) dominated the races, winning ten out of the thirteen that were held, and only just missing out on an eleventh.[2]
At the completion of the trials the judges chose the Soling over Shillalah II, in spite of her success in the races. However, the boat's performance had won converts, and shortly thereafter the boat entered production with orders for an initial 12 boats. With the formation of a new association the class became known as the E22, and 32 boats were built by Etchells' company by the end of 1969.[2]
Design
The Etchells is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a raised counter reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 3,325 lb (1,508 kg) and carries 2,175 lb (987 kg) of lead ballast.[1]
The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the standard keel.[1]
Designed for racer and day sailing, the boat has a small cuddy cabin without bunks, designed for stowage only.[4]
For sailing the boat has a central control console that gathers many of the sail controls. These include the 8:1 mechanical advantage jib halyard, 4:1 Cunningham, 4:1 mainsheet, foreguy and the topping lift. Other controls are led to the cuddy cabin's aft bulkhead, including the 2:1 course jib sheet, 6:1 fine jib tuner, 2:1 barber hauler and the spinnaker halyard. There is also a 6:1 adjustable backstay and a mainsheet traveler.[4]
Events
World Championships
Template:Etchells World Championship medallists
Famous Etchells sailors
- John Bertrand
- Dennis Conner
- Gary Jobson
- Peter Coleman
- Russell Coutts
- Dave Curtis
- Poul Richard Høj Jensen
- Jud Smith
References
- ^ a b c McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Etchells Class sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "A Brief History of the Etchells Class". Etchells (International Association). Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ^ "Etchells Class in Australia". International Etchells Class Association of Australia Inc. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ^ a b Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 134-135. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
External links
Media related to Etchells at Wikimedia Commons
