The Tempest is a trailerable, one-design racing sailboat that was designed by British naval architect Ian Proctor and first built in 1965.[1][2][3]

Tempest

T
Development
DesignerIan Proctor
LocationUnited Kingdom
Year1965
No. built1199 (by 2023)
Builder(s)Lanaverre
Mader Bootswerft
O'Day Corp.
Plastrend/Composite Technologies
Roleone-design racer
NameTempest
Boat
Crewtwo
Displacement1,021 lb (463 kg)
Draft3.58 ft (1.09 m)
Trapezesingle
Hull
Typemonohull
Constructionfiberglass
LOA22.00 ft (6.71 m)
LWL20.00 ft (6.10 m)
Beam6.50 ft (1.98 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board typelifting weighted bulb keel
Ballast440 lb (200 kg)
Rudder(s)internally-mounted spade-type rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
Sails
Sailplanfractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area164 sq ft (15.2 m2)
Jib/genoa area82.78 sq ft (7.691 m2)
Spinnaker area225 sq ft (20.9 m2)
Total sail area247 sq ft (22.9 m2)
Racing
D-PN83.4
Former Olympic class

Production edit

In the past the design was built by O'Day Corp. and Plastrend/Composite Technologies in the United States and by Lanaverre in France. A total of 1199 boats had been reported as built by 2023. Today it is built by Mader Bootswerft of Germany and remains in production.[1][3][4]

Design edit

 
Tempest sailing downwind with spinnaker
 
Tempest

The Tempest is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars. The hull has a spooned raked stem, a plumb transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting, weighted, bulb keel. It displaces 1,021 lb (463 kg) and carries 440 lb (200 kg) of lead keel ballast. Construction includes three transverse bulkheads to aid flotation. The boat has a rear deck above the rudder.[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 3.58 ft (1.09 m) with the keel locked in the extended position.[1]

For sailing the design is equipped with a single trapeze, an unusual feature on a keelboat. Jib and mainsail windows for visibility are permitted in the class rules, but the sizes are controlled.[3]

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick DP-N racing average handicap of 83.4 and an RYA-PN of 942. It is normally raced with a crew of two sailors.[3][5][6]

Operational history edit

The boat was selected as an Olympic class and raced at the 1972 and the 1976 Summer Olympics.[1][3]

The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the International Tempest Class Association.[7]

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the International Class Tempest was an Olympic boat in 1972 and 1976. She is fast. Tempest is a one-design, and class rules are strict ... The mast’s design and material are optional, but the mast may not rotate. Older boats have thicker, stiffer masts and, in addition to the diamond shrouds and spreaders found today, additional swept-back spreaders. Good racing boats are light at the ends and rigid, although this is not necessary in the deck ... Only one person may use the trapeze, and safety equipment is required."[3]

Racing edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Tempest International sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Ian Proctor 1918 - 1992". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 116-117. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
  4. ^ Mader Bootswerft. "Tempest". mader-boote.de. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Keelboat Classes". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Portsmouth Number List 2011" (PDF). Royal Yachting Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  7. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "International Tempest Class Association". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.

External links edit