FAST AND FUN

...Bailing Not Required

 

The Open Skiff is a fantastic boat for young sailors to experience the joy of sailing. It is fast, exciting and fun to sail yet simple to rig and maintain. Many of the skills learnt in the Skiff will be easily transferred to other boats as sailors evolve and progress onto other forms of sailing.

– Sir Russell Coutts

A wind of change is what the O’pen Skiff has brought to the world of junior sailing for New Zealand kids

Internationally

It’s a growing fleet with exciting prospects for the future. Hosting some of the best Regattas in the world with some of the most competitive fleet racing and the only class to introduce fun events such as the “freestyle”. There is now over 7000 boats Worldwide Sailed in 15 different Countries. O’pen Skiff strives to maintain its high standard of racing but also emphasises the “fun” factor into all its Regattas.

New Zealand

A quickly expanding fleet, producing sailors of all calibre from the racer to the explorer. With well over 700 boats in Australia and New Zealand the popular Class is proving a favourite.

MEMBERSHIP

The New Zealand O’pen Skiff Association’s mission is to help participants in our community grow in character and personal confidence and to bring the joy of sailing to as many kids as possible! We’re a volunteer organization with a focus on continuous improvement for the O’pen Skiff community and we are committed to delivering a unique family friendly experience in junior sailing that blends fun and competition here in New Zealand. Our platform provides a pathway to performance and adventure sailing so whether your future goals are to drive a SailGP F50 or sail a trailer yacht across the Hauraki Gulf, we’ve got you covered.

The Association will contribute significant resources to running events such as race officer support, world class coaching, event prizes, and much more. Annual NZOSA membership costs $30 and sailors are required to be members to participate in NZOSA events.

Organisation

As an association our vision…

The New Zealand O’pen Skiff Association will lead the development of our young sailors by ensuring the O’pen Skiff class offers quality regional, provincial, and national competition while retaining a strong foundation of fun, adventure and friendship among the sailors and their families.

What’s On

Upcoming events on the O’pen Skiff Calendar.

How To Get Involved

Do you want to develop the class at your club?
If you think the O’pen Skiff would suit your club and you would like more information on how to get involved contact Glide Industries and find out about holding an Open day for your club.

Looking for somewhere to try an O’pen Skiff?
If you are interested in sailing an O’pen Skiff. There are are a number of clubs around the country that are sailing O’pen Skiffs. Click here for all current Clubs.

Newsletter Signup

Signup to receive our free Newsletter to stay up to date on whats going on!

Our aim is not to have every kid a racer doing laps.

But every O’pen Skiff sailor enjoying the sport for a lifetime.

I strongly believe that the Bic is the best boat I’ve ever sailed because it is challenging and it has a skiff shape hull, which gives it astonishing speed. I know, the Bic is an incredible boat and is loads of awesome fun.

David, Avalon Sailing Club

I’ve now got friends from all over the World because of the International Competition.

Kristen (13 years)

I love my Bic as it’s fast and you don’t have to bail it. I got my own Bic when I was only five!

Breanne (8 years)

I love that I can’t damage my Bic as they are really strong. I can’t imagine sailing any other boat!

Travis (10 years)

O’pen Skiff – “The International Junior Skiff”

A modern and planing hull, more in the form of a skiff, The O’pen Skiff gives a dynamic responsive fast sailing experience of a true dinghy that heels. A powerful boat that provides kids the same excitement normally experienced on a boat as adults.

With its 6-foot Open design, including a totally open self draining stern, it offers fast fun. Young sailors are fully independent on the water and will be proud to sail such a modern-looking and elegant boat, one that both sails and looks like the boat of today’s champions.

Speed comes close to the Laser 4.7. Good sail and boat trim is rewarded with fast planning on all points of sailing, especially surfing waves downwind

The ideal weight for a user of this boat is 30 – 55 kg, but it can accommodate up to 90 kg.

Car-top transport is easy. Rig and foils fit in a bag under the hull. The O’pen Skiff is unloaded, rigged and ready to race in less than 10 minutes.

Adventure and Freestyle fun

The O’pen Skiff is an outstandingly fast sailing dinghy specially designed for kids to have fun in sailing.

Recognising the skiff like performance of the boat enables exciting new race formats like slalom, adventure racing, and opencross freestyle.

Friendship & Behaviour

The O’pen Skiff class attracts a wonderful group of kids. They are well spoken, polite and caring of each other’s well being. The class is absent of the intense rivalry and friction that creeps into other classes from time to time.

Fun and mateship predominates amongst our young sailors.

The O’pen Skiff class is a family friendly, fun atmosphere and sets a standard to discourage any intense rivalry or unsportsmanlike behaviour.

 

NZ O'PEN SKIFF

0800 242 776 (NZ)

Contact Us

If you require more information please contact us.

Email: info@openskiff.org.nz
Phone: 0800 242 776

Contact Us
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📷 Hero Image / Elena Giolai / Italian National Ranking Regatta Cagliari 2023