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Working
the
Sails
website is a comprehensive source of information on the
sailing dinghy, yachts and the sport of sailing.
The
First
Race
By 1661, two
English yachts had been built, the Catherine for King Charles, and the
Anne for the Duke of York. The first recorded race between two pleasure
vessels was when the King beat the Duke of York on a course from
Greenwich to Gravesend and back along the Thames. |
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Yachts
and
their
Origins
The Dutch word
jaghen, which means to pursue or chase is where the terms "yacht" and
"yachting" are derived from and evolved from the word jaght denoting
any light and swift ship. In exile in the Netherlands, the
English king, Charles II, learnt of the small yachts and on his return
to England in 1660, he received the gift of a 15.8m (52ft) Dutch yacht
called the Mary, which prompted English shipbuilders to improve on the
design. |
Sailing Dinghy
Sailing,
as we
recognize it today, originated shortly after the Second World
War. Marine plywood development was acknowledged by
sailboat designers as the perfect building material for the production
of a strong, lightweight sailing dinghy. Coupled with a
knowledge of basic carpentry, home construction became possible.
Growing leisure time and disposable income created the desire and
sailing became popular. People discovered the pleasures of dinghy
sailing, some preferring to sail in local waters, others cruised longer
distances in larger dinghies and others chose to race. |
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Cruising Yachts
The joy of
sailing is illustrated in the pleasures to be had from cruising under
sail, at sea aboard a cruising boat, out of sight of land, and
responsible for your own destiny. Offshore cruising dates
back to the mid 19th century. When the idea of cruising offshore
in a small yacht was for the reckless and adventurous, a few sailors
such as Richard Tyrrell McMullen, set about pioneering yacht
cruising. Other pioneers were John Macgregor, who cruised
in a small sailing canoe and, American Joshua Slocum, who, in 1898,
aboard the 10.1m (36ft) Spray, completed a single-handed
circumnavigation |
