John Brodziak
INTERNATIONAL 2.4MR CLASS YACHTS AT RFBYC
John Brodziak sailing his boat with the Club behind; photo by John Anderson
A
Hobart run; photographer Angus Calvert
GROUP OF RFBYC MEMBERS ARE keen to introduce the International 2.4 metre rating class at the Club with the intention of racing with the off-the-beach fleets.
For those that haven’t yet seen the two boats in the Western hardstand area, the 2.4mR is a one-person keelboat that offers even the most accomplished competitive sailors a unique opportunity to test their sailing skills. The 2.4mR can be as complex and challenging as an Etchells or a Dragon but on a more manageable scale, and without the high initial cost, the high maintenance costs, or the need for crew. In addition, the 2.4mR can be used as a platform to further develop team racing, fleet racing and match racing for up-and-coming sailors. The shape of the 2.4mR resembles that of larger yachts that adhere to the metre rule, in particular the 12-metre class yachts that competed for the America’s Cup for many years, and renowned in Australia for the win by Australia II in 1983. The 2.4mR was first developed in Sweden at the beginning of the
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1980s. Of several initial designs, the most popular and enduring was one by Peter Norlin. Following this success, Norlin then created the Mk II and subsequently the Norlin Mk III. The yachts currently at the Club are Mk IIIs. The Norlin Mk III is 4.16m LOA, has a beam of 0.805m and a draft of 1.0m. The measured weight is 254kg, of which 184kg is lead ballast in the hollow keel. The measured sail area is 7.5 sqm. By the end of the eighties the class was firmly established and in 1988 the first set of class rules were accepted by the Scandinavian Sailing Federation. In 1993 the class was acknowledged by World Sailing and granted status as an International Class. National and World Championships are held annually in Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, and the USA under the auspices of World Sailing. The 2015 Open World Championship in Rauma,
Finland attracted 102 competitors from 15 nations. The 2016 World Championships were held in Hobart with 35 starters. The 2.4 metre rating class is a development class, and as such the design is not fixed but is at the discretion of the designer, providing the Class Measurement Rules are complied with, and the calculated rating in accordance with the Rules does not exceed 2.40. Within the development class, boats of the Norlin Mk III design can also race as a one-design class division. The 2.4mR class grew popular as it offered a whole new concept to sailing. To date, over 4,000 boats have been built worldwide. The sailor sits in the boat without a requirement to shift body weight to keep the boat upright, making the class suited for sailors of any physical fitness level to sail competitively. The class became popular with disabled 13
