From foiling boats to two and three-person skiffs, single-sail lasers to catamarans, dinghy sailing is a sport that comes in all shapes and sizes. Experienced sailors throw the names of sailing classes around all the time, but what are the actual differences between the different boats? See the current Olympic sailing classes and popular sailing classes explained below.
49er/49erFX
The 49er and 49erFX classes are the internationally-sailed skiffs that have been featured in the Olympics since the Sydney 2000 games, well known for their dynamic, fast-paced and high-intensity racing style. Both boats feature a dual-trapeze system, meaning both the crew and skipper are out on wire, have main, jib and spinnaker sails, and are built to a one-design mould, meaning all of the boats within the class are identical. The only difference between the 49er and 49erFX is the size of the mast and sails, where the 49erFX has a smaller rig to compensate for smaller crews, with the rest of the boat identical to the 49er.
ILCA
The ILCA (formally known as the Laser) is the most popular dinghy in the world - a single-handed, single-sail boat that features simple sail controls, it's the perfect class for both beginners and pros alike. In terms of the laser vs 49er debate, both boats are very different, but they do feature some similarities. The ILCA also has different sub-classes to compensate for different crew weights, with the ILCA 6 being primarily for women, and the ILCA 4 serving as a pathway for teenagers and young adults. Unlike the 49er, the ILCA doesn’t have a trapeze system, meaning sailors ballast the boat by hiking, generally wearing padded hiking wetsuits.
Nacra 15/17
One of the fastest Olympic sailing classes, the Nacra 17 is a one-design, two-handed, dual-trapeze catamaran. Similar to the 49er, this class is incredibly dynamic and fast-paced, where the room for error is very small, particularly as the boat is foiling. This means the daggerboards and rudders are designed to allow the boat to lift out of the water when it reaches planing speed, significantly increasing boat speed but also adding another level of difficulty to standard dinghy sailing. The Nacra 15, the scaled-down version of the Nacra 17, serves as a pathway for teenagers to learn how to sail these boats before stepping up to the Olympic level.
18ft/16ft Skiff
The 16 and 18ft skiffs offer some of the fastest and often most chaotic racing sailing has to offer. With three crew members, three sails and less strict design rules than those of the Olympic classes, these boats offer an incredibly unique sailing experience. The 16ft skiff generally has two trapeze wires, whereas the 18ft skiff features three trapeze wires, wings similar to the 49er and significantly larger sail areas. While these classes are generally only sailed in Australia, international recognition is growing as the tight and highly competitive fleets are gathering more attention.
Moth
The Moth is an incredibly unique boat that differs heavily from other types of dinghies. The single-handed, single-sail foiling moth may sound simple to sail at first, but the moth is a fully-foiling boat with L-shaped foils rather than the curved foils of the Nacra 17 and 15s. This means the boat can foil at lower velocities and sustain higher boat speeds, also due to its lightweight hull construction. An incredibly high-performance boat that can take years to master, the foiling moth offers an unforgiving, high-intensity racing experience for those who sail them.
SWITCH
The SWITCH Foiling class is a high-performance, one-design dinghy engineered by Element SIX Evolution that brings the exhilaration of foiling to sailors of all ages and sizes. Built from full carbon-epoxy laminate with a PVC core and a thin, easily repairable gelcoat, the hull is ultra-light yet robust (\~25 kg), and it’s designed for durability and easy maintenance. This compact 3.9 m × 2.25 m platform accelerates quickly, lifting onto the foil in as little as 6 knots of wind, with upwind speeds exceeding 19 knots and downwind over 30 knots. Every component is fabricated to exact one-design standards, ensuring uniformity and fairness across the fleet. The wings, trampolines, and spars disassemble easily, fit into a travel box, and are simple to rig, making shipping, storage, and transport hassle-free. The SWITCH Foiling class delivers a thrilling, foiling experience in a lightweight, durable, and easily transportable one-design package that’s accessible, upgradeable, and built for fair, competitive fun on the water.
iQFOil
Making its Olympic debut at Paris 2024, the iQFOil is a revolutionary, fast-paced foiling windsurfer that is new on the scene, replacing the non-foiling RS:X. The lightweight hull design allows the iQFOil to foil at lower speeds and remain foiling for longer than other boats such as the Nacra or Moth, making it one of the fastest sailing classes currently on the market. While similar to typical dinghies in terms of technicality and on-water tactics, the iQFOil allows athletes to compete in a variety of race styles, with normal windward-leewards, marathons or shorter slalom races all common within the class.
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Article researched and written by Reece Johnson, who is a competitive Australian sailor and content contributor for Vaikobi.
