Australian Sharpie
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The Australian Sharpie is a 3-person sailing dinghy[1] which has evolved from the 12-square-metre class sailed in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Australian Sharpies are 19 feet, 11+3⁄4 inches long, with a planing hull and a single mast.[2] Sharpies race with a fully battened mainsail, a jib and a spinnaker. They are sailed competitively in all six Australian states.[3] The Australian Sharpie National Titles is run as a carnival each year rotating from state to state. A National Conference is held each year during this event by officials from the Australian Sharpie Sailing Association (ASSA).
Famous Sharpie sailors include 1983 America's Cup winner John Bertrand, Sir James Hardy and John Cuneo.
Development of the Australian Sharpie is strictly controlled by the Australian Sharpie Sailing Association (ASSA), which has chapters in each of the states which have Sharpie fleets. The current craft was initially referred to as a "Lightweight Sharpie". to distinguish it from an earlier design which was referred to as a "Heavyweight Sharpie"; however, at a recent national conference the name was officially changed to "Australian Sharpie". The Lightweight Sharpie was founded by the Addison brothers in Western Australia.
Because of the design, the type has limitations that prevent mass-production in fiberglass. Fiberglass, by its nature, is stronger when used for compound curves; the flat bottom and sides of a sharpie are not well suited to this building material. Some designers, including Bruce Kirby and Reuel Parker, have managed to add some curves (typically at the chine) without compromising the qualities of the type, but there are limits as to what can be done before the boat becomes something other than a sharpie.
The earlier heavyweight Sharpie is still sailed with fleets in the UK, Holland, Germany, and Portugal.