sydney harbour race

29er Skiff Sailing

The Evolution of Sail Boat Technology

timeline

What you need for a 29er:

explanation/demo video

Skiff Explanation

The word 'skiff' has traditionally been used to describe a small rowing boat, however presently it is most often assosciated as a sailboat. A skiff in modern day terms doesn't specifically have its own description, however a 29er skiff is a fast monohull, 4.45 metres in length, it weighs 74kg and the combines weight of skipper and crew goal is 125kg. The 29er class is a one design boat, meaning all the sails, foils, mast, boom and hull are identical, however you can change the ropes, the blocks and their positioning and the way you set and trim the sails. The 49er is the class above the 29er (seen at the olympics) which has both sailors on trapeze, a larger hull surface area (making it much more stable) and sail surface area , but the same sized foils; it is the boat which the 29er was based off.

Why do you enjoy it?

1.Different every time
the conditions are unpredicatble (to a certain level) there are always new combinations of variables you have company, and both your moods evect your performance.
2. Physically and mentally demanding
you must be constantly focused, there is no time to relax or stress about external issues or worries. the physical effort you put in may be painful however, it has immediate observable impacts on the boats motion.
3. The competitions
you get to travel all over the state (or country), to sail in new conditions on new water and meet new people.

Overcoming problems

1.Sienna - skipper "When we sail communication is the key. If we don't speak what we're thinking or what we're about to do then someone usually gets hurt. We also have to share information we have observed from our surroundings, either with the weather patterns or surrounding boats, this way we prevent any confusion for the reasoning of manoeuvres. When physical issues on the boar arise we try to fix them as safely and quickly as possible." 2. Belle - crew "When we sail many minor problems come up, most of the time if you ignore them they go away. The big problems are psychological, when we are at regattas where there is lots of pressure, or if we are learning a new skill and the whole thing has the potential to go very wrong with one wrong move, then sailing with another person becomes the hardest. Communicating efficiently with relevant information in short periods of time, takes a lot of getting used to, you have to learn not to be influenced by the abruptness of sentences or instructions of what to do and where to go. Very often the skipper and crew aren't on the same page, meaning we are physically out of synchronisation and mentally confused and frustrated."

Why do we need hobbies?

1. To keep us mentally healthy and stimulated
being outside keeps you happier, the human interaction and challenges are beneficial for your hippocampus
2. To keepy us physically healthy and active
releases happy hormones: endorphins by exercising, it's good for your bodily systems and ability to function effectively
3. To keep things interesting
interactions, relationships and scenarios outside of school and home life (create an external support/friend network)