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DESCRIPTION Generally, small boats are less than 25 feet in length. Most are trailerable and carry centerboards or swing keels (weighted keels that retract into the boat for trailering). They include a wide assortment of dinghies (open cockpit), daysailers (with foredecks and gear enclosures) and small day sailing keelboats. Because of their size and simplicity, many small sailboats can be sailed single handed or with a single crewmember. Their performance, depending on design, may range from ‘stable and relaxing’ to ‘wet and wild’. The term ‘Keelboat’ refers to those sailboats which have a weighted keel (the vertical fin at the bottom of the boat) which is of sufficient weight to counterbalance the force of the wind in the sails. So, "basic" keelboats are most commonly larger than the centerboard and dinghy class of vessel and start at about 20' in length and go up to about 30' in length. Windsurfers are are a fun and affordable way to experience the thrill of sailing. Typically, windsurfers are fiberglass “boards,” much like a surfboard. They come in various sizes and widths, which help define the level of skill needed to ride each one. The beginning windsurf boards are wider and longer than the advanced boards and are great for people new to the sport. Each board has a sail attached to a rotating mast which is attached to the board. Colorful, fast, and close to the water, windsurfing is enjoyed by people of all ages. While traditional sailing is fun, there is nothing like the thrill and excitement of sailing a multihull, big or small. Multihulls come in quite a variety – there are catamarans (those with two hulls) and trimarans (those with three hulls). They also come in many sizes. For example, catamarans can be as small as 9 feet in length and have been built to over 100 feet. Smaller cats are referred to as beach cats, running in size from about 13 feet to around 21 feet. There are a great many designs and manufacturers of these exciting craft, but most folks just call them all Hobies – sort of like we all used to call our refrigerators "Frigidaires." You might have seen them blasting along shore lines at awesome speeds with the sailors suspended on trapeze wires from the mast. They are small, fast, exciting and very light. LOCAL CLUBS
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