The Pelican is a pram
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 ...
, peculiar to
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
Design
It is similar to the ubiquitous
Mirror
A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...
, being a
gunter-rigged
pram designed for a crew of two. However, it's a little smaller and is usually rigged only with main and spinnaker. Originally constructed in timber, many are now constructed in fibreglass. A variant of the Pelican class sailed at Lake Maquarie is also rigged with a jib.
Foils
The rudder is made from wood or fibreglass. The daggerboard is made of aluminium improving its longevity and ease of maintenance.
Sails
In 2014 the class rules were updated to allow Polyester Laminate sails (Mylar). This and Dacron are the only materials allowed.
The class evolved in the 1950s from the tenders of local sail boats – these were jury rigged with sails for races between crews of sail boats moored at
Rottnest. The class peaked with over 270 hulls registered with about 70 currently active (cite WA newspapers report Jan 2008).
It remains a popular beginners' dingy class in Perth.
Class associations
The Pelican Sailing Association
References
{{Reflist
Dinghies