Fleets

Catalina 22

The Catalina 22 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with teak wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a vertical transom, a large self-bailing cockpit, with under-seat lockers, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel. It has two winches for the jib sheets. Sails include a jib, 150% genoa and a spinnaker.

Models have been built with folding swing keels, wing keels and fin keels.

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.

Accommodations include a forward “V” berth with a privacy curtain and a port berth with an optional head that can be stowed underneath. The main cabin area includes a dinette table and a molded fiberglass galley that rolls away under the cockpit space. The foredeck features an opening hatch for ventilation. The companionway hatch may have a “pop-top” fitted for additional headroom.

Designer: Frank V. Butler, First built in 1969.

The Catalina Fleet 150 hosts several events each year.

BSC contact: PJ Callahan, Catalina 22 Fleet

For more information on the Catalina 22, visit Catalina 22 National Sailing Association

Flying Scot

The Flying Scot, a 19-foot centerboard sloop, is one of the oldest and largest one-design sailboat classes in the world.  The late Sandy Douglass designed and built the boat and raced it for many years. More than 6,000 Flying Scots have been built over the last 60 years.  The Flying Scot is an outstanding racing boat and cruising boat and is used extensively in adult learn-to-sail programs throughout the country.

The Flying Scot is 19′ long and weighs 850 lbs. Sailed by two or three people, the Flying Scot has 191 sq. feet of sail, consisting of a main and jib, plus a 200 sq. ft. spinnaker. The Flying Scot has a high boom and wide decks. The Flying Scot can be easily trailered which makes it a good boat for travel with family or to regatta.

Designer: Gordan “Sandy” K. Douglass, First built in 1958.

The Flying Scot Fleet 118 hosts the Great Scot Regatta in the fall of each year.

BSC contact: Richard Wade, Flying Scot Fleet 118

For more information on the Flying Scot, visit Flying Scot Sailing Association

Keelboat

The BSC Keelboat Fleet exists to support racing and cruising programs for all keelboats at the Birmingham Sailing Club. The Fleet promotes keelboat participation in club race weekends and will hold social sailing events throughout the year.

There are a variety of keel boat classes at BSC and each year the Smith-Berry Long Distance Race honors our keelboat legacy.

For more information on the Keelboat Fleet contact, keelboat@birminghamsailingclub.org

Thistle

The Thistle is a high-performance one-design racing sailboat that is generally sailed with a three-person crew.  It is 17′ long, weighs 515 lbs. and has 191 sq. ft. of sail, consisting of a main and jib, plus a 220 sq. ft. spinnaker.  The Thistle can be easily trailered which makes it a great choice for travel regattas.

• Consistently fast due to the high sail area to weight ratio.
• Quick to plane thanks to the wide, flat stern.
• Built to slice through waves with the plumb bow.

It’s a fun, fast, responsive boat that does well in a wide variety of conditions.  Thistles plane easily in 10-12 knots of breeze and glide effortlessly in light air.

Designer: Gordan “Sandy” K. Douglass, First built in 1945.

The Thistle Fleet 110 hosts the Great Pumpkin Regatta each fall which draws highly competitive sailors from across the Southeast and beyond.

BSC contact: Loy Vaughn or Conor Madden, Thistle Fleet 110

For more information on the Thistle, visit Thistle Class Association