Bermuda Fitted Dinghy
The Bermuda Fitted Dinghy is a type of racing-dedicated
Bermuda rig
The
History
The development of the rig is thought to have begun with fore-and-aft rigged boats built by a Dutch-born Bermudian in the 17th century. The Dutch were influenced by Moorish
Advent of sail racing in Bermuda
With the buildup of the
Introduction of dinghy racing
By 1880 there was great concern that the need for professional crews in sloop racing was making the sport too expensive, and that its development was stagnating, as a direct result. Dinghy racing was developed as a cheaper alternative. When the Bermuda Dinghy first appeared is uncertain, but the design is scaled down from the earlier sloops, rather than appearing to be an evolution of the dinghies and small boats previously used for more mundane purposes. The first race was held on 26 August 1880. A number of types of smaller boats were raced in different classes. The dinghies were restricted to amateur crews. In 1882, the Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Association was formed, holding its first races on 28 July. This association ultimately became the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. In 1883, Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, visited Bermuda, and she donated a trophy which was awarded to the winner of a dinghy race held on 8 March, which was restricted to boats both owned and steered by club members. A purse race was held after, which was open to all amateurs. Dinghies for this race were restricted to hulls of 12 feet (3.7 m) of keel, and 14 feet (4.3 m), 1 inch overall.
Bermuda Fitted Dinghy
The dimensions of the boats from the 1883 race have remained the standard ever since. Despite the small hulls, the dinghies carried substantial rigging. Although square topsails were reportedly in use in the 1880s, the form used today soon developed, basically scaled down from the larger sloops. One early example, the Reckless, was fitted with a 28-foot (8.5 m) mast, 28-foot (8.5 m) boom, 14-foot (4.3 m) bowsprit, and 20-foot (6.1 m) spinnaker boom. She carried 70 square yards of canvas going upwind, while the spinnaker increased this to 92 square yards running downwind.
Original Bermuda Dinghies were roundbottomed and fitted with long, shallow keels so they would be easy to beach or could run over reefs without damage. During the first recorded race, held in St. George's Harbour in 1853, the existing boats were fitted with deep keel extensions fastened in place temporarily to give them the bite to sail better to windward. These metal keels (called fans) differentiated these racing boats from the "unfitted" working dinghies and gave the class its name.
Racing
The dinghy racing, today, is an inter-club activity, fought between the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC), the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC), the St. George's Dinghy and Sports Club and Sandys Boat Club. Whereas most of the professional crews of the earlier sloop racing, which has since died-out, were probably Black, the restriction of dinghy racing to these clubs, with their membership historically restricted to white people, means that Bermuda Fitted Dinghy racing has maintained an exclusive, all-white reputation in Bermuda. Although it is true that mounting a dinghy campaign requires significant financial and personnel resource, new entries are welcomed regardless of race, and many of Bermuda's best-known fitted sailors are black, including Stevie Dickinson and Glenn Astwood.
The racing is carried out on set dates in a variety of locations including Hamilton or St. George's Harbours, Granaway Deep, and Mangrove Bay. The dinghies sail windward leeward courses and the number of legs is decided based on the conditions at race time. Boats always finish to windward. The boats, despite their small sizes, are each normally crewed by six people, necessary to handle the large areas of sail, and also to continually bail the dinghies, which have very little freeboard, and which are often capsized by powerful gusts. A unique rule to racing states that the number of crew to finish a race can be less than the number that started. This can encourage boats to have crew dive off the transom during a race to push the boat forward, help lighten the boat and increase performance.
Boats
As of 2011, 4 boats will be raced regularly during the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy season, although there have been rumours of other boats returning to the race course.
Contest III -Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
Challenger II -Sandy's Boat Club
Victory IV -St. George's Dinghy and Sports Club
Elizabeth II -Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club
Boats Rumoured to Return in the Near Future
Bloodhound - Bermuda Maritime Museum
Port Royal II -Knight White Dinghy Association
Echo -Sandy's Dinghy Association
Coronation Cup
This trophy is awarded to the overall winner of every season. The results from the last 20 seasons are...
2022- Contest III
2021- Contest III
2020- Contest III & Elisabeth II
2019- Contest III
2018- Elisabeth II
2017- Elisabeth II
2016- Elisabeth II
2015- Contest III
2014- Contest III
2013- Contest III
2012- Contest III
2011- Contest III
2010- Challenger II
2009- Challenger II
2008- Contest III
2007- Contest III
2006- Contest III
2005- Challenger II
2004- Contest III
2003- Contest III
2002- Contest III
References
- ^ "Challenger II: The Sandys Boat Club Fitted Dinghy". Sandys Boat Club. Sandys Boat Club. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
The Sandys Boat Club is the home of the Challenger II, a Bermuda Fitted Dinghy.
- ^ Smalls, H. B. (24 September 1912). "IN THE LONG AGO". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke Parish, Bermuda.
Mr. H. B. Small's letter to-day, gives an account of the first recorded Yacht race in Bermuda, some 150 years ago which is particularly interesting as recalling the sporting tendencies of the past.
AN OLD YACHT RACE.
To The Editor of The Royal Gazette: Sir,—The recent Boat race here recalled to my mind that I had amongst my records, or Archives as I call them an account of the first yacht race held in Bermuda in the year of our Lord 1784, which is full of interest as affording an insight into life here in those "good old days of yore." Amongst the Garrison officers stationed at that time at St. George's, were a Captain Remington and a Captain Brown, both "wealthy and much addicted to sport. The former urged a Mr. J. Trott to "sail a race," and Captain Brown urged a Mr. W. Sears to accept the challenge,
Sources
- Arnell, J.C. (1982). Sailing in Bermuda: Sail Racing in the Nineteenth Century. Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.
External links
- Royal Bermuda Yacht Club: Constitution and Rules governing Bermuda Fitted Dinghy Racing (pdf, 2004 version)
- Constitution, Measurement rules, and Sailing Regulations Governing Bermuda Fitted Dinghies (pdf, 1984 version, with history and list of all dinghies)
- The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
- Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club
- Sailing Networks: Bermuda Fitted Dinghy