The Fish class sloop, also known informally as the Fish Boat, is a
one-design sailboat designed in 1919 by
New Orleans resident
Rathbone DeBuys, member of the
Southern Yacht Club. It is reputed to have been the most popular sailboat racing class on the
US Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...
in the early 20th century and was the
Gulf Yachting Association one-design racer until it was replaced by the
Flying Scot in 1969.
It should not be confused with
Nat Herreshoff's larger sloops, the
Annisquam Fish Class
Marconi rig
A Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. This configuration was developed in Bermuda in the 1600s; the term ''Marconi' ...
ged catboats, nor various
motor yachts and
surfboard
A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...
s of similar names.
Specifications
The Fish class sloop is a
gaff-rig,
fixed-keel, hard
chine,
v-hull sloop
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
, originally made of wood, which can carry a crew of from two to five (usually three) depending on the wind. Its specifications are length 20' 6", waterline 16', beam 6', draft 3', weight , ballast , sail area , mainsail area , jibsail area . In early years a club foot jib was used and in later a genoa jib was used. Rules have been modified to allow
aluminum spars and hulls made partially or totally of
fiberglass composite. When the Fish is raced in a cruising class event its (2008)
Portsmouth yardstick rating is 97.1. It is not listed in the
PHRF critical dimension database.
Notes
{{reflist, 1
See also
*
Catboat
*
Keelboat
*
Sharpie
External links
Fish Class Association home pageGulf Yachting Association home page
Keelboats