The International Canoe (IC) (also known as the International Ten Square Meter Sailing Canoe) is a powerful and extremely fast

single-handed sailing The sport and practice of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember (i.e., only one person on board the vessel). The term usually refers to ocean and long-distance sailing and is used in competitive sailing and am ...

canoe whose rules are governed by the

International Canoe Federation The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliated ...

. The boat has a narrow bow entry and a planing hull, carrying a

mainsail A mainsail is a sail rigged on the main mast of a sailing vessel. * On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast. * On a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, it is the sail rigged aft of the main mast. The sail's foot ...

, and a

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsail ...

(sometimes self tacking). Stability is achieved with a ''sliding seat'' on which the single crew member sits, effectively controlling the boat from 'outside'. International Canoes are raced in three divisions. The main body of the class competes to a development (or "box") rule, allowing significant variation in design between different boats within the rule framework. Within that rule there is a "One Design" subclass which covers boats built to a one design rule in operation between 1971 and 2007, all of which have the same hull shape and are subject to an 83 kg minimum weight limit. The third division, known as the AC (Asymmetric Canoe), uses the 83 kg one design hull and carries an

asymmetrical spinnaker An asymmetrical spinnaker is a sail used when sailing downwind. Also known as an "asym", "aspin", or "A-sail" it can be described as a cross between a genoa jib and a spinnaker. It is asymmetric like a genoa, but, the asymmetrical spinnaker is not ...

. The combination of an easily driven hull with a highly developed and efficient sail plan, and the powerful righting moment afforded by the (single) crew positioned well away from the hull centerline provides possibly the most exhilarating and technically challenging sailing experience available in a mono-hulled craft. The origins of the class can be traced back to the 1860s, and International competition with craft that are recognisably ancestors of the current boats started in 1884. The Class still competes for the New York Canoe Club Challenge Trophy, which was established in 1885 and is believed to be the oldest international sailing trophy after the

America’s Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one fr ...

. The class is most popular in Australia, the US and Northern Europe, especially Germany, Sweden and the UK. International Canoes can compete against other classes in a mixed fleet by use of the RYA

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 ...

handicap scheme. The one-design class uses a Portsmouth number of 905. The Asymmetric Canoe has a faster Portsmouth number of 870, making it 3.9% faster.

References

External links

International Canoe sites globally
Canoes Dinghies Boats designed by Jack Holt {{water-sports-stub