Internationally
It’s a growing fleet with exciting prospects for the future. Hosting some of the best Regattas in the world with some of the most competitive fleet racing and the only class to introduce fun events such as the “freestyle”. There is now over 7000 boats Worldwide Sailed in 15 different Countries. O’pen Skiff strives to maintain its high standard of racing but also emphasises the “fun” factor into all its Regattas.
Australia & New Zealand
A quickly expanding fleet, producing sailors of all calibre from the racer to the explorer. With well over 700 boats in Australia and New Zealand the popular Class is proving a favourite.
“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 Bic will be easily transferred to other boats as sailors evolve and progress onto other forms of sailing.”
Sir Russell Coutts
2015 WORLD O’PEN CUP – A superb regatta down under
The 2015 World O’pen Cup held at Safety Beach Sailing Club in Melbourne from 27th December – 3rd January was a huge success, with wind and weather that gave a wide variety of sailing conditions, 130 sailors coming from 8 countries… The regatta was all action in true O’pen Skiff fashion, and will live long in the memories of the young competitors!
Organisation
As an association our vision…
The Australian International O’pen Skiff Association will lead the development of our young sailors by ensuring the O’pen Skiff class offers quality regional, state, and national competition while retaining a strong foundation of fun, adventure and friendship among the sailors and their families.
How To Get Involved
Do you want to develop the class at your club?
If you think the O’pen Skiff would suit your club and you would like more information on how to get involved contact the AUS O’pen Skiff Association and find out about holding an Open day for your club.
Looking for somewhere to try an O’pen Skiff?
If you are interested in sailing an O’pen Skiff. There are are a number of clubs around the country that are sailing O’pen Skiffs. Click here for all current Clubs.
Would you like to be kept up-to-date with what is going on?
Our aim is not to have every kid a racer doing laps.
But every O’pen Skiff sailor enjoying the sport for a lifetime.
O’pen Skiff – “The International Junior Skiff”
A modern and planing hull, more in the form of a skiff, The O’pen Skiff gives a dynamic responsive fast sailing experience of a true dinghy that heels. A powerful boat that provides kids the same excitement normally experienced on a boat as adults.
With its 6-foot Open design, including a totally open self draining stern, it offers fast fun. Young sailors are fully independent on the water and will be proud to sail such a modern-looking and elegant boat, one that both sails and looks like the boat of today’s champions.
Speed comes close to the Laser 4.7. Good sail and boat trim is rewarded with fast planning on all points of sailing, especially surfing waves downwind
The ideal weight for a user of this boat is 30 – 65 kg, but it can accommodate up to 90 kg.
Car-top transport is easy. Rig and foils fit in a bag under the hull. The O’pen Skiff is unloaded, rigged and ready to race in less than 10 minutes.
Adventure and Freestyle fun
The O’pen Skiff is an outstandingly fast sailing dinghy specially designed for kids to have fun in sailing.
Recognising the skiff like performance of the boat enables exciting new race formats like slalom, adventure racing, and opencross freestyle.
Friendship & Behaviour
The O’pen Skiff class attracts a wonderful group of kids. They are well spoken, polite and caring of each other’s well being. The class is absent of the intense rivalry and friction that creeps into other classes from time to time.
Fun and mateship predominates amongst our young sailors.
The O’pen Skiff class is a family friendly, fun atmosphere and sets a standard to discourage any intense rivalry or unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Graduating into Youth Classes
Our graduates are used to a wet boat, a fast boat and are capable of handling a wide range of wind conditions.
Laser 4.7
The transition to this class is easy as it’s a single handed, single sail, wet boat, often capsized, with very familiar sail controls, and it has good depth of youth competition. A number of the 2013 & 2014 seniors in the O’pen Skiff have already bought into this class and are competing strongly.
29er
The look and the speed make the 29er a natural aspirational boat for the O’pen Skiff sailor. It is a more challenging boat with its 3 sail rig, trapeze and two-handed configuration. Introducing O’pen Skiff sailors as crew works.
Flying 11
This pathway is available in some states where there is a strong club representation. Ex Australian O’pen Skiff winner, Tom Grimes, stepped into F11’s in 2013, with immediate success.
International 420
This leads our sailors into the recognized, international youth class used in many school and clubs.
Windsurfing (BIC Techo)
Again the wet, speed and look characteristics of the O’pen Skiff have a high fit with competitive windsurfing classes. A number of the experienced young sailors
onto boards with confidence.
Contact Us
If you require more information please contact us.