O'pen Skiff
{{Short description|Sailboat class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox sailboat specifications
|name = O'PEN Skiff
|insignia = File:OpenSkiffLogo.png
|insignia size = 150px
|insignia alt =
|insignia caption =
|line drawing =
|line size =
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|image boat = File:O'Pen Bic sailboat 7928.jpg
|image size =
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|designer = Vitali Design
|architect =
|location = France
|year = 2006
|no built = 8,000
|design =
|class =
|brand =
|builder = Melges Performance Sailboats
|role = One design racer
sail training
|boats =
|crew = One
|trapeze =
|draft =
|air draft =
|displacement = {{convert|99|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}
|hulls =
|hull type = monohull
|construction = polyethylene
|loa = {{convert|9.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|loh =
|lwl = {{convert|7.17|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|beam = {{convert|3.58|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|hull draft =
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|engine =
|appendages =
|keel type = daggerboard
|ballast =
|rudder type = transom-mounted rudder
|rigs =
|rig type = cat rig
|I =
|J =
|P =
|E =
|mast length =
|rig other =
|sails =
|sailplan = catboat
|sailarea main = {{convert|48.44|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}
|sailarea headsail =
|sailarea spin =
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|sails other =
|sailarea upwind =
|sailarea downwind =
|sailarea total = {{convert|48.44|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}
|rating =
|d-pn =
|rya-pn =
|phrf =
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The O'PEN Skiff, or O'pen Skiff, is a sailing dinghy that was designed by Vitali Design of Italy for children's sail training and as a one design racer. It was first built in 2006.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/open-bic|title= O'PEN Skiff sailboat |access-date= 17 July 2022|last= McArthur|first= Bruce|work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220717223546/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/open-bic|archive-date= 17 July 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://melges.com/open_bic/|title= The O'pen Skiff |access-date= 17 July 2022|author= Melges Performance Sailboats|author-link= Melges Performance Sailboats|work= melges.com|year= 2021|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220717223611/https://melges.com/open_bic/|archive-date= 17 July 2022|url-status= live}}
The design is a World Sailing international class.{{cite web|url= https://www.sailing.org/classes/open-skiff/|title= O'pen Skiff|access-date= 17 July 2022|author= World Sailing|author-link= World Sailing|work= sailing.org|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220717223618/https://www.sailing.org/classes/open-skiff|archive-date= 17 July 2022|url-status= live}}
The boat was originally marketed by the manufacturer as the O'PEN Bic, but was renamed the O'PEN Skiff in 2019.
Production
Originally produced by Bic Sport of France starting in 2006, the design is now built by Melges Performance Sailboats in the United States and remains in production. More than 8,000 boats have been delivered.{{cite web|url = https://sailboatdata.com/builder/melges-performance-sailboats|title = Melges Performance Sailboats|access-date = 17 July 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200908184850/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/melges-performance-sailboats|archive-date= 8 September 2020|url-status= live}}
Design
The O'PEN Skiff is a single-handed training and racing sailboat. The hull is built of thermoformed, molded polyethylene, with a two-section mast and aluminum boom. It has a catboat rig, with a K.Film polyester, fully-battened mainsail; a raked stem, an open transom; a transom-hung, composite epoxy rudder, controlled by a tiller with an extension and a retractable, composite epoxy daggerboard. The boat displaces {{convert|99|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} and may be transported on a car top or on a trailer.
Operational history
The design is widely used by hundreds of sailing clubs for training children to sail.
Russell Coutts, World Champion New Zealand sailor and America’s Cup Winner, said of the design, "the O’pen Skiff is a fantastic boat for young sailors to experience the joy of sailing. It is fast, exciting and fun to sail yet simple to rig and maintain. Many of the skills learnt in the O’pen Skiff will be easily transferred to other boats as sailors evolve and progress onto other forms of sailing."{{cite web|url= https://skiffsports.com/|title= O'PEN Skiff|access-date= 17 July 2022|author= Skiff Sports|work= skiffsports.com|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220717235236/https://skiffsports.com/|archive-date= 17 July 2022|url-status= live}}
=Racing=
{{Main|List of O'PEN Skiff championships}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|O'pen BIC}}
- {{Official Website|https://melges.com/open_bic/}}
{{Melges Performance Sailboats}}
{{Sailing Dinghies and Skiffs}}
{{Classes of World Sailing}}
Category:Classes of World Sailing
Category:2000s sailboat type designs
Category:Sailboat type designs by Vitali Design
Category:Sailboat types built by Melges Performance Sailboats