125 (dinghy)
Encyclopedia
The 125 is a 12.5 foot two person intermediate sailing dinghy
complete with main, jib
, spinnaker
and trapeze
. The 125 class has a strong following within Australia with national titles being held every year around the country and local state associations. The class was originally designed as an intermediate class for developing skills with the jib, spinnaker and trapeze but has become popular from novice to experienced sailors.
's 3.3 metre Mirror
and the larger Mirror 16
. As with the Mirrors, the 125 can be assembled from plywood
using the "stitch and glue
" method, and, as far as possible, the 125 uses Mirror parts in its design. The parallels between the boats go as far as the design of the sail insignia – the 125 employs a design based on the Mirror's symbol lying on its side.
Nevertheless, initial sales were not good, and with the arrival of the Mirror 14 Grieg had decided not to continue production. However, John Coomer had built one of the few kits that had been sold, and encouraged Grieg to continue producing kits if buyers were available. A new sail plan was developed based on the Flying Junior
, and Coomer developed class rules and a constitution for the 125. Yet while his 125, Beauty Bottla, was successful in racing, there was no real demand for the class.
Things changed in 1972 when Grieg handed over the copyright for the design to Coomer to be used by any association that might be formed. Subsequently the new association was developed, the boat was marketed by the association, and as a result sail numbers increased from 6 in 1970 (with Coomer's boat) to 21 in late 1972. By 1977 over 950 sets of plans had been sold, and the first National Championships were held that year.
The class continued to develop under a strict set of rules, with various modifications being made to the specification over the years – including, in 1990, a provision for fiberglass
hulls.
and Optimist
dinghies), providing a more extensive sail plan and a trapeze on a relatively stable and forgiving hull, while also being suitable to both adult/child and adult/adult combinations. Furthermore, the 125 is a relatively low cost boat, making it suitable to sailing on a budget – especially if an older, wooden, hull is purchased. The boat can be sailed in all Australian states, and sailors can compete at both state and national levels of competition.
The popularity of the class to sailors of varying ages and skill levels can be problematic, as it leaves race organisers with difficulties trying to have all sailors finish within a reasonable time. As of 2009 there are fleets of 125's in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
complete with main, jib
Jib
A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...
, spinnaker
Spinnaker
A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...
and trapeze
Trapeze (sailing)
In sailing, the trapeze refers to a wire that comes from a point high on the mast, usually where the shrouds are fixed, to a hook on the crew member's harness at approximately waist level...
. The 125 class has a strong following within Australia with national titles being held every year around the country and local state associations. The class was originally designed as an intermediate class for developing skills with the jib, spinnaker and trapeze but has become popular from novice to experienced sailors.
History
The 125 was designed in 1969 by Simon Grieg as a class that would sit between Jack HoltJack Holt (dinghy designer)
Jack Holt, OBE was a prolific designer of sailing dinghies. His pioneering designs of dingies using plywood did much to popularise the sport of sailing in the period immediately following World War II....
's 3.3 metre Mirror
Mirror (dinghy)
The Mirror is a very popular sailing dinghy, with more than 70,000 built.The Mirror was named after the Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper with a largely working class distribution. The Mirror was from the start promoted as an affordable boat, and as a design it has done a great deal to make dinghy...
and the larger Mirror 16
Mirror 16
The Mirror 16 is a class of sailing dinghy which was sponsored by the Daily Mirror newspaper in 1963 and the design project was headed by Jack Holt. Its design was based upon the easy to construct "stich and glue" principle introduced by Barry Bucknall for the Mirror 11 dinghy. The Mirror 16 was...
. As with the Mirrors, the 125 can be assembled from plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
using the "stitch and glue
Stitch and glue
Stitch and glue is a simple boat building method which uses plywood, epoxy glue, and "stitches" and eliminates the need for stems and chines. Plywood panels are cut to detailed profiles and stitched together to form an accurate hull shape, without the need for forms or special tools...
" method, and, as far as possible, the 125 uses Mirror parts in its design. The parallels between the boats go as far as the design of the sail insignia – the 125 employs a design based on the Mirror's symbol lying on its side.
Nevertheless, initial sales were not good, and with the arrival of the Mirror 14 Grieg had decided not to continue production. However, John Coomer had built one of the few kits that had been sold, and encouraged Grieg to continue producing kits if buyers were available. A new sail plan was developed based on the Flying Junior
Flying Junior
thumb|Coen Gulcher helming one of the first Flying Juniors The International Flying Junior or FJ is a sailing dinghy which was originally designed in 1955 in the Netherlands by renowned boat designer Van Essen and Olympic sailor Conrad Gülcher. The FJ was built to serve as a training boat for the...
, and Coomer developed class rules and a constitution for the 125. Yet while his 125, Beauty Bottla, was successful in racing, there was no real demand for the class.
Things changed in 1972 when Grieg handed over the copyright for the design to Coomer to be used by any association that might be formed. Subsequently the new association was developed, the boat was marketed by the association, and as a result sail numbers increased from 6 in 1970 (with Coomer's boat) to 21 in late 1972. By 1977 over 950 sets of plans had been sold, and the first National Championships were held that year.
The class continued to develop under a strict set of rules, with various modifications being made to the specification over the years – including, in 1990, a provision for fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
hulls.
Popularity
According to the national association, there are a number of attributes of the class that may contribute to its popularity. In particular, the class caters to both intermediate sailors who have graduated from the sail trainers (such as the SabotSabot (dinghy)
The Sabot is a sailing dinghy that is sailed and raced singlehandedly usually by young sailors in various places around the world.It is a hard-chine pram 8 feet in length with a maximum width of 3'11" . The Sabot is equipped with a dagger board and a 36 square-foot Bermuda-rigged sail...
and Optimist
Optimist (dinghy)
The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by children up to the age of 15. Nowadays boats are usually made of fiber reinforced plastic, although wooden boats are still built....
dinghies), providing a more extensive sail plan and a trapeze on a relatively stable and forgiving hull, while also being suitable to both adult/child and adult/adult combinations. Furthermore, the 125 is a relatively low cost boat, making it suitable to sailing on a budget – especially if an older, wooden, hull is purchased. The boat can be sailed in all Australian states, and sailors can compete at both state and national levels of competition.
The popularity of the class to sailors of varying ages and skill levels can be problematic, as it leaves race organisers with difficulties trying to have all sailors finish within a reasonable time. As of 2009 there are fleets of 125's in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.