Enterprise (dinghy)

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Specifications Under Current Rules
E
Number of crew 2 LOA 4039mm 13ft 3in Beam 1600mm 5ft 3in Draft 1200mm 3ft 10in Hull weight (with fittings) 94kg 207lb Sail Area of total of Main and Jib 18sq m 193sq ft

The Enterprise type is a two-man hiking sailing dinghy with a distinctive blue sail and no spinnaker. Despite being one of the older classes of dinghies, it remains popular and well used for both cruising and racing. It has a combination of stability, sizeand power which contiues to appeal to all ages, and tosailing schools.

Unfortunately Enterprises had poor buoyancy (early designs used air bags tied under the seats which often came loose) and consequently a reputation for sinking. Modern FRP Enterprises have built in buoyancy tanks improving stiffness and removing much of the maintenance associated with buoyancy bags. Wooden boats still tend to have buoyancy bags to the rear and a forward bulkhead. It is rare to hear of Enterprises sinking any more.

They are also relatively unstable in comparison with other dinghies of similar performance, they have handling characteristics which would generally be associated with much faster designs.

Enterprises provide close tactical racing, as opposed to some modern designs, which are considered "boat speed-obsessed". However, top Enterprise sailors depend more on expensive equipment and exotic materials than sailors in stricter one-design classes such as the Laser, where all boats are identical.

Originally "The News Chronicle Enterprise", this predates Jack Holt's other newspaper sponsored Mirror Dinghy as the first UK sailing dinghy to be sponsored by a national newspaper.

[edit] Specifications

The Enterprise has the following specifications:

• Designer: Jack Holt (1956)
• LOA: 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m)
• LWL: 12 ft 11 in (3.9 m)
• Beam: 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
• Displacement: 259 lb (117 kg)
• Draft: Centreboard up 8 in (203 mm), down 3 ft 10 in (1.2 m)
• Sail area: main & jib 193 ft² (18 m²)

[edit] External links

• Enterprise Association UK
• International Enterprise class rules at www.sailing.org

[edit] Other types of Sailing Dinghy