Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470

Specifications
Type
Centerboard Boat
No. Of Crew
2
Opt Crew Weight
110 - 145
Designer
André Cornu
National Origin
France
Hull Material
GRP
Year Designed
1963
Number of Trapeze
Single
Hull Length
4.7
Beam Length
1.7
Mainsail Area
9.45 m²
Headsail Area
3.59 m²
Spinnaker Area
12.16 m²
Boat Weight
120kg
Advertising Cat
C

Another boat to watch out for at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships is the 470 (Four-Seventy).

The 470 is a two-person, monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig and centre sheeting.

The name 470 depicts the boat length, that is 470cm or 4.70m long.

Frenchman André Cornu designed the boat in 1963, as a modern fibreglass planing dinghy to appeal to sailors of different ages and weights. These boats were given international status in 1969.

In 1976, the 470 was added to the Olympic programme at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, in Quebec, Canada. In 1988 the first Olympic women’s sailing event was sailed in the 470.

The hull of this dinghy is made of fibreglass and it is fitted with integral buoyancy tanks.

It is a popular boat with individuals and sailing schools worldwide, offering a good introduction to high-performance boats, without being excessively difficult to handle.

These boats are not designed for beginners. Sailors often gain experience in a smaller dinghy, such as a 420, before graduating to the 470s.

Further, because of their large sail-area-to-weight ratio the boat planes easily.

The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to sail it well. It is not considered a difficult boat to sail but to be competitive everything should be mastered to perfection.