<b>WHAT IS AN INTERNATIONAL CANOE? </b>
The International Canoe is a boat which represents a long and complex evolution from paddle canoe to high performance racing dinghy.
As it exists today the IC is a one-man craft of 5.18m in length, 1.01m width and 63kg stripped hull weight powered by 10 square meters of sail. It is characterized by its means of creating righting moment, the sliding seat. By no means unique, and certainly not new, the sliding seat is a beam that slides athwartships on a track, enabling the sailor to hike out far to windward. The result is a long, skinny boat, very light for its length and sail area, which goes very fast!
The IC is more than a unique sailing craft. It is one of the premier one-person sailing challenges, and as an open design racing class, brings together sailing talent from around the globe. Currently, the international fleet includes boats from the US, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, France, Germany, and Australia, and is growing.
The International Canoe class enjoys a full racing calendar that is truly 'International'. National Championships are held annually in the US, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Australia. European and British sailors can also compete for the annual 'Europa Cup', the trophy for the best IC sailors in Europe.
Internationally the IC class holds a World Championship Regatta every three years, with the next event to be held at the McCrae YC, Victoria/AUSTRALIA in January 2008. International Canoe Sailors also compete for the second oldest (to the America's Cup) International Sailing trophy, the New York Canoe Club International Challenge Cup. The New York Cup Challenge is a series of races held after the triannual World Championships.
<b>WHY ARE THERE THREE DIFFERENT INTERNATIONAL CANOES?</b>
Where most small racing dinghies are one-design boats, all conforming to the same specifications, the IC enjoys status as an "open design" class. This open status, combined with the changes in dinghy design and construction since the IC hull was 'frozen' in 1971, has led to the creation of two appendices to the International Canoe rules.
This has created 3 divisions of IC’s on the water, from which the International Canoe Members and Committee will draw from to influence the next chapter in IC history come the 2008 World Championships:
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IC – Sailed in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand*, Sweden, UK, USA
LOA 5180mm
BEAM 1010mm
SAIL AREA 10 m²
WEIGHT 83.5kg
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Asymmetric IC - Predominantly sailed in the UK with boats in Australia, Germany and the US
An asymmetric spinnaker was added to the conventional IC, with the aim of matching the IC’s seemingly sluggish off wind performance to its exceptional upwind speed. The AC won favour with many because of its ability to compete in IC or AC mode.
LOA 5180mm
BEAM 1010mm
SAIL AREA 10 m²
+ Perimeter restricted Asymmetric Spinnaker
WEIGHT 89kg
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Development IC – Boats currently on the water in the USA, Australia and the UK
The Development IC or ‘DC’ keeps the 10sqm of sail but with more freedom in hull design. The DC is an attempt to be true to the original Open International Canoe rules. It is also hoped that this line of development will:
reduce build costs
attract home builders/designers back to the class
be lighter and faster than existing IC’s and AC’s.
LOA 4900-5200mm (allowing current IC’s to still measure)
BEAM 750-1100mm (allowing current IC’s to still measure)
SAIL AREA 10 m²
WEIGHT 50kg
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<b>HOW DOES THE CHANGE IMPACT CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE SAILORS? </b>
The lead up to the 2008 World Championships is an exciting time, but also a transitional phase. In a dinghy sailing era where carbon fibre construction is mainstream and hydro foiled skiffs are almost commonplace, it is important that the IC class carefully considers the next phase of its 100 years of development. At McCrae YC, Victoria, Australia, class members and the World and National committees will decide on the next direction in this class’s progression.
Please don’t let this transition period affect your decision to get involved with the class, as the International Canoe Class will continue to support all International Canoes (AC, IC, DC and historic) just as it has through other ‘defining moments’ in its history:
1892 when the sliding seat first appeared
16ft canoes in 1909
Using a mizzen sail as a jib in the 1930’s
17ft canoes in 1936
First fully battened mainsails in 1946
Adopting of the Nethercott Hull (current IC shape) in 1971
Pioneering of Carbon Fibre Masts in 1982
Advent of the AC in the 1990’s
Throughout all of these changes one thing has remained constant, and that is the people who sail International Canoes. No matter what direction the IC class takes, it is a special kind of sailor will always be drawn to this fantastic class: part tinkerer/thrill seeker/boundary pusher/competitor and part something else that makes normally sane people want to hike off the end of a sliding seat over 5ft away from their boat in close company with others doing the same thing.
<b>IC Class Promotional Slideshow </b>(http://www.internationalcanoe.yachting. ... h_0001.wmv)
So if this sounds like you, or if you’d like to see if it’s for you then contact the International Canoe Association nearest you and arrange a test sail.
World Site:
http://www.intcanoe.org
Australian Site:
http://www.internationalcanoe.yachting.org.au
Canadian Site:
http://www.intcanoe.org/iclife
French Site:
http://ic10.free.fr/
German Site:
http://www.ic-taifun.de/
Swedish Site:
http://hem.passagen.se/fki/ic-kanot.htm
UK Site:
http://www.intcanoe.org.uk
US Site:
http://www.intcanoe.us
2008 World Championships
http://www.icworlds.org