The Lark is a two-person, non-trapeze
sailing dinghy, designed in 1966 by Michael Jackson (who was also responsible for many
National 12 and
Merlin Rocket designs). All Larks are made of
glass-reinforced plastic
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 cloth ...
(GRP). The Lark is a one-design class which leads to very close racing.
The boat is very popular in the UK with a new builder (Synergy Marine) signed up in 2021 with a brand new design variation on the existing hull shape. In the UK the class became very popular through the university team racing circuit. The boat was also popular in clubs as it is suited to a wide range of crew weights, typically from 18 stone up to 25 stone. It is still one of the fastest non-trapeze dinghies available. Larks participate in
handicap racing, utilising a
Portsmouth number of 1073.
National Championships are held every year in the UK. Entries to the Nationals in the 1970s and 1980s was typically 125 plus boats and although numbers have dropped still typically attracts 50 plus boats to the Nationals. This class is well known for its social events and the Masters continue this tradition with an event every two years.
In the United States, Larks are sailed at several east coast universities, including
Tufts and The University of Connecticut. The University of Connecticut fleet is among the oldest functioning fleet in the United States. In the United States of America college sailing forms part of the training scheme for
Olympic competition, sharing the same training model as many other collegiate sports. Although the Olympic class
470
__NOTOC__
Year 470 ( CDLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Iordanes (or, less frequently, year 1223 '' ...
is far more powerful than the collegiate
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
* ...
, the former is similar to the Lark, making it an ideal junior boat for the 470. The Lark also shares skiff like characteristics with the
49er, another Olympic class, hence the Lark's suitability for collegiate sailing in relatively flat water conditions, which amount to roughly 70% of all college venues. In
mixed fleets, Larks sail off a
D-PN handicap of 93.6.
External links
Lark Class Owners Association Home Page
UK sailing clubs with Lark fleets
Barnt Green Sailing Club Home PageFrensham Pond Sailing Club Home PageNorthampton Sailing Club Home PageSouth Staffs Sailing Club Home PageWaldringfield Sailing Club Home PageUniversity of Portsmouth (UK) Sailing Club Home PageUniversity of Manchester Sailing Club Home PagePenzance Sailing ClubLittleton Sailing Club Home Page
References
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs
Dinghies
Two-person sailboats