Heron (dinghy)

Heron

Learning to sail in a Heron, West Lakes, South Australia

Boat
Crew| 2 (max)
Hull
Hull weight| 63.7 kg (140 lb)
LOA| 3.429 m (11.25 ft)
Beam| 1.372 m (4 ft 6.0 in)
Sails
Mainsail area| 4.78 m2 (51.5 sq ft)
Jib/genoa area| Jib: 1.72 m2 (18.5 sq ft)
Genoa: 2.83 m2 (30.5 sq ft)
Spinnaker area| 6.36 m2 (68.5 sq ft)
Racing
D-PN| 120.0
RYA PN| 1346

[edit on Wikidata]

The Heron Dinghy is a dinghy designed by Jack Holt of the United Kingdom as the Yachting World Cartopper (YW Cartopper). The Heron dinghy was designed to be built by a home handyman out of marine ply over a timber frame, but can now also be constructed from marine ply using a stitch and glue technique or from Fibreglass. Modern dinghies will usually have built in buoyancy tanks, older craft will have bags or retrofitted tanks.

Since about 1980 boats have been increasingly made of Fibreglass, although the Australian association has approved stitch and glue construction .

The Heron is sailed in the UK and Australia and New Zealand, with a few others spread around the world. UK class rules vary slightly from the Australian Rules. In the UK a spinnaker is permitted and a larger genoa can be used. The UK also permits the use of different rudder shapes and a Bermudan Mast. Other more minor differences exist between the rules.[1] The Heron cartop dinghy was popular in Ireland from the late 1950s until the arrival of the Mirror which was lighter, easier to build, and had built in buoyancy.[2]

They are mainly used as adult/child racing dinghies. For state and national titles the Olympic triangle course is often used.

The Heron has a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1346 when sailed single handed.[3] In the US Sailing scheme it has a D-PN of 120.0.[4] The Heron has been a popular entry-level sailing dinghy, due largely to its high level of stability. The craft design features hard chines. These are sharp angles between the sides and bottom of the hull, giving it great stability even in rough weather conditions. This makes it easier for a relative novice to avoid capsizing. A round-hulled craft requires a lot more skill to keep upright.

Over 10,500 Heron sail numbers have been issued since the design first appeared in the late 1950s.[5]

The first Heron, No 1 Flook still exists and is now owned by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.[6]

## References

1. ↑ UK Heron Association
2. ↑ I sailed in the Dublin Bay fleet and at regional events in Skerries, Howth, and Cork Harbour during that period
3. ↑ "Portsmouth Number List 2012". Royal Yachting Association. http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/technical/Web Documents/py-general/2012 listv3.xls.
4. ↑ "Centerboard Classes-Inactive". US Sailing. http://offshore.ussailing.org/Portsmouth_Yardstick/Current_Tables/Centerboard_Classes-Inactive.htm.
5. ↑ "National Heron Sailing Association of Australia". http://www.heron.yachting.org.au/.
6. ↑ Heron #1 "Flook" – BC08 www.nmmc.co.uk, accessed 11 November 2020

## External links

UK heron Dinghy Class Association:

* Official Site of the UK Heron Dinghy Class Association

National Heron Sailing Association of Australia:

* Official Site of the National Heron Sailing Association of Australia

National Maritime Museum Cornwall

* National Maritime Museum Cornwall

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