Newly designed National 18 footers to keep up tradition

Dinghy classes that come and go in popularity always seem to hold their following according to the effort of the generation of the organisers behind the scenes.

In the case of the National 18 footers, the latest initiative has seen the introduction of a third generation of hull design intended to continue the 76-year-old tradition of this three-person boat.

After four years, and €100,000 in development costs, the latest generation arrived in Cork Harbour this season with eight new boats in action. Now the fleet is on the move, building on its traditional strongholds in Crosshaven and Monkstown with sights set firmly on the large Dublin sailing market.

Potential newcomers

Six boats are being brought to Howth YC on the weekend of November 7/8th where potential newcomers to the class will have their first test sail. Already, 15 sailors have confirmed their interest with possibly the same again expected though any more might make the event unmanageable given the limited places.

The invitational format isn't new though it was previously limited to Cork. And though the class held the 2011 Irish championship at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, it was in the past firmly rooted in Cork Harbour. But that may be about to change as the organisers hope to attract newcomers to the fleet as well as former class sailors that are Cork ex-pats living in the Dublin region.

The new design continues the tradition of a broad-appeal boat that can be sailed by three middle-aged adults who comfortably fit in and still get a great dinghy racing experience according to the class promoters.

Traditionally, this meant appealing to people moving out of classes such as 470, Squib, Etchells, Dragon and 505 or more recently RS400 boats.

Notably absent from this list are the SB3 Sportsboats but, in Cork, the lack of hoist facilities limited the appeal of the class which is exactly where the revival of the 18’s found it’s initial footing.

"The class is 76 years old and one of the longest sailed dinghies in Ireland," commented Willie Healy, class captain at the Royal Cork YC. "We think that once people get into the boat and try it out for themselves they'll be interested and hopefully will make a purchase – that would be a dream come true for us."

The format of the event at Howth Yacht Club includes an invitation to helm for trials and possibly racing with the advantage of two experienced National 18 sailors up front to assist with the introductions.

The National 18 is a halfway house between hopping around the place and high-performance and can be handled by older people while still appealing to those in their late 20s as well according to Healy.

The new boat costs €22,000 including sails, road trailer and is ready to sail.