The 470 (Four-Seventy) is a double-handed
monohull
right
A monohull is a type of boat having only one hull, unlike multihulled boats which can have two or more individual hulls connected to one another.
Fundamental concept
Among the earliest hulls were simple logs, but these were generally unst ...
planing dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed by a larger vessel for use as a tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they differ from sailing dinghies, which ...
with a
centreboard
A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...
,
Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. Equipped with a
spinnaker,
trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
and a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, it is designed to
plane
Plane(s) most often refers to:
* Aero- or airplane, a powered, fixed-wing aircraft
* Plane (geometry), a flat, 2-dimensional surface
Plane or planes may also refer to:
Biology
* Plane (tree) or ''Platanus'', wetland native plant
* ''Planes' ...
easily, and good teamwork is necessary to sail it well. The name comes from the boat's length of .
The 470 is a popular class with both individuals and sailing schools, offering a good introduction to high-performance boats without being excessively difficult to handle, but it is not a boat designed for beginners. Its smaller sister, the
420
420 may refer to:
* 420 (number)
*420 (cannabis culture), informal reference to cannabis use and celebrations on April 20
** California Senate Bill 420 or the Medical Marijuana Program Act
*AD 420, a year in the 5th century of the Julian calendar
* ...
, is a stepping stone to the 470.
The 470 is a
World Sailing
World Sailing (WS) is the world sport governing body, governing body for the sailing (sport), sport of sailing recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
History
The creation of the Inter ...
International Class and has been an
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
class since the
1976 games.
History
The 470 was designed in 1963 by the Frenchman André Cornu as a modern fibreglass planing dinghy to appeal to sailors of different sizes and ages. This formula succeeded, and the boat spread around the world. In 1969, the class was given international status and it has been an Olympic class since 1976. In 1988, the first Olympic women's sailing event used the 470.
Sailing
To sail the 470, good physical fitness but not too much physical strength is required. The optimal weight of the combined crew ranges between 100 to 145 kg, making it a suitable boat for men, women and youth teams. Due to various options for
sail trimming one can sail the boat well at 1 to 6
Beaufort scale, slightly above by experienced teams. For racing the 470 is a tactically demanding class, since differences in boat speed are small and the boat does not lose much speed during manoeuvers. Good teamwork between helm and crew is essential for successful racing.
Races
World and Continental Championships are organised every year with separate starts for women and men/mixed teams. There is also a World Championship for juniors and a Master World Championship. The 470 is used in regional championships such as the Asian, Mediterranean, and PanAm Games. Entries are limited in important international races, encouraging more competition by requiring qualifying races in most countries.
In the World Championships more than 30 countries have been represented. There are 65 member nations in the International Class Association and more than 40,000 boats have been built in 20 countries.
The 470 may be raced in a
mixed fleet of boats, its performance being adjusted by the
Portsmouth Yardstick
The Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) or Portsmouth handicap scheme is a term used for a number of related systems of empirical handicapping used primarily in small sailboat racing.
The handicap is applied to the time taken to sail any course, and the han ...
handicapping scheme. In the
RYA-administered scheme, the 470 has a Portsmouth number of 973.
In the
US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing) is the national governing body for sailing in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers t ...
-administered scheme, it has a D-PN of 86.3.
Construction
The 470 is a strict one-design class, and its builder must be approved a Licensed Builder by World Sailing. The class design may evolve, but its intent is to use proven, economical, and environmentally sound materials, currently
fibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
with integral buoyancy tanks for the hull.
The 470 dinghy is long with a mast. Its weight without sails is .
Events
Olympics
At the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
, the 470 Class was initially an open class, but since the 1988 games there have been separate events for men and women. Since 2008 each consists of a 10-race series, with teams being awarded points on a point-per-place system, and each team's worst result being discarded. The top 10 boats qualify for the medal race, in which double points are awarded.. At the 2024 Olympics, the 470 will be sailed by a mixed crew only.
Sailing
2024 Olympics Paris
Men
Women
470 World Championships
Open
Men and Mixed
Men
Women
470 World Junior Championships
Men
Women
See also
*ISAF Sailing World Championships
The Sailing World Championships (formerly ISAF Sailing World Championships) are World championships in sailing for the 10 events contested at the Summer Olympics, organized by World Sailing (formerly ISAF) and held every four years since 2003. In ...
* International Sailing Federation
References
External links
Official class website
International Sailing Federations 470 Microsite
{{Authority control
Dinghies
1960s sailboat type designs
Sailboat type designs by French designers