Rants & Musings, Sailing in Bermuda
Index
Bermuda Fitted Dinghies (John, 06/2009)
Bermuda is a very different place than it was 50 years ago when I was a child, but one of the few things that has endured from that time is the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy. Fourteen feet one inch long, alarmingly overcanvased, stubbornly old fashioned and raced with a six person crew, one of whom bails continuously when going up-wind--there is nothing quite like them anywhere else.
It was great to see one out practicing last night. Oh, by the way, the rig she is carrying in the photographs is a small one! You see, Fitted Dinghies don’t reef, they change the whole rig: mast, boom and sails. The skipper must make the decision before the race; too small and you are last, too big and you are swimming.
