Sunburst (dinghy)
Encyclopedia
The Sunburstis a two-handed, 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) centreboard
sailing dinghy
. It was designed in the late 1960s in New Zealand
by John Balmain Brooke, where it was to become one of the most popular classes of boat. It is popular as a craft for teaching beginner sailors, and is actively raced in New Zealand.
Although designed as a two person boat, a Sunburst can easily be sailed by a single person in light to moderate conditions using just the mainsail only, or mainsail and jib.
The Sunburst is usually rigged with a mainsail
, jib
and spinnaker
. Construction is of wood
or fibreglass, with a minimum hull weight of 77 kg.
National Regattas are held Annually
Centreboard
A centreboard or centerboard is a retractable keel which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a centreboard trunk or centerboard case...
sailing dinghy
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,...
. It was designed in the late 1960s in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
by John Balmain Brooke, where it was to become one of the most popular classes of boat. It is popular as a craft for teaching beginner sailors, and is actively raced in New Zealand.
Although designed as a two person boat, a Sunburst can easily be sailed by a single person in light to moderate conditions using just the mainsail only, or mainsail and jib.
The Sunburst is usually rigged with a mainsail
Mainsail
A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
, 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...
and 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...
. Construction is of wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
or fibreglass, with a minimum hull weight of 77 kg.
National Regattas are held Annually