Design Development class Hull weight 260 kg (570 lb) | Crew 1 Beam 0.805 m (2 ft 7.7 in) | |
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Draft 1 m (3 ft 3.370 in) (Mark III) LOA 4.16 m (13 ft 8 in) (Mark III) | ||
The International 2.4mR is a one-person keelboat. The class is a development class governed by the 2.4mR rule. The rule is controlled by World Sailing (ISAF) since it is one of few classes designated as an International class. The class rule is closely related to the 12mR rule that was used in the America's Cup and the shape often resembles the larger sister.
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While there is a small but active group of amateur designer/builders around the world, around 90% of boats are the commercially produced Norlin Mark III designed by yacht designer Peter Norlin of Sweden. Recently, new designs have come into production, such as the Stradivari III and the Proton.
The boat is primarily used for racing and the class holds highly competitive national events in many countries. World and European championships (only when the World Championship is not in Europe) are attracting around 100 boats every year. In some countries it features mainly as a class for sailors with a disability.
The 2.4mR is ideal for adapted sailing since the sailor does not move in the boat, and everything is adjustable from right in front of the sailor. Both hand-steering and foot-steering are possible. The boat's ability in integrated sailing has been proven on the result lists of several World Championships. In 2002 and 2005 there were handicapped World Champions. The boat is sailed without a spinnaker, but with a whisker-pole for the jib.
History
After the 1980 America's Cup, people in the Newport, RI area started sailing boats called Mini-12s named for the 12-Metre yachts used in the America's Cup. As the class developed, word of it spread to Sweden, home of yacht designer Peter Norlin. Norlin tweaked the design, and along with other naval architects he created the 2.4 meter yacht class. Although the 2.4mR is a construction class, Peter Norlin is in practice the totally dominating designer, and the class is therefore often mistaken as a one design class. In addition to all the sailing aspects of the boat, Norlin has worked the design to incorporate features for the physically disabled to use the boat.
One-design
In recent years an attempts have been made to develop a one design class based on the Norlin III. This is primarily because of the need for competition within the paralympics for racing to be about the sailor and not a technical development race. This led to the introduction of (Appendix K to the Class rules) and now a group is working on a set of stand alone One-design rules. This is still at the early stages but it is likely a new one design class is formed alongside the development class.
Rating formula
As an open class rather than a one-design, all boat designs must meet the following formula.
Where (all measurements in mm)
Disabled World Championships
The 2.4 metre has been used a number of times as equipment for the One-Person Technical Disabled displine which holds an annual World Championships.
Paralympics
Since 2000 the 2.4 Metre has been the official single-crew class boat for sailing at the Summer Paralympics although it has been used in a more one design form utilising the Norlin Mk3 design.