The 59er is aimed at less athletic sailors without a harness, but who do not want to do without the speed and performance of a modern dinghy, and its rig and hull have similar characteristics to its smaller sisters.
While the successful 29er (foresail trapeze) and the Olympic 49er (double trapeze) skiffs from designer Julian Bethwaite require perfect boat control and almost artistic movements from the crew, the 59er from the pen of his father Frank should be somewhat easier to handle.
The main is fully battened, extremely flared and the twist is controlled with a boom vang instead of a downhaul. The main boom sits relatively high, allowing a quick change of side. The jib is self-tacking. The narrow hull is widened by wings on which the crew sits. The optimum crew weight should be between 145 and 180 kilograms. The gennaker is set in a trumpet and travelled on an extendable trunk.
The German dealer is Segelsport Jess in Kiel.
Technical data:
Hull length 4.7 m
Width 2.0 m
Weight 75 kg
Draught 1.5 m
Mainsail 9.5 square metres
Jib 4.5 square metres
Gennaker 20.5 square metres
Fridtjof Gunkel
Deputy Chief Editor YACHT
