Flying Fifteen
The Flying Fifteen is a 20-foot two person keelboat designed by Uffa Fox in 1947. In 2018 therefore the class is 71 years old.
 Class symbol | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Uffa Fox |
| Year | 1947 |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 2 |
| Hull | |
| Hull weight | 677 lb (307 kg) |
| LOA | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Beam | 5 ft (1.5 m) |
| Sails | |
| Spinnaker area | 150 sq ft (14 m2) |
| Upwind sail area | 150 sq ft (14 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 90.0[1] |
| RYA PN | 1022[2] |
History
The Flying Fifteen was quickly popular and the most famous Flying Fifteen is Coweslip presented to the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present. Uffa Fox and Prince Philip frequently sailed together at Cowes.
The Flying Fifteen has been modernized over the years, with Uffa Fox agreeing to changes towards the end of his life to improve the design specification and sail plan. By this time, the class had established itself in a number of countries, and when John Calvert-Jones traveled from Australia and won the UK championships, the stimulus was provided for the move to seek international status. Under the guidance of Tom Ratcliffe, an International Federation of Flying Fifteen Associations was formed by nine countries from four continents. The first world championships were held in Perth, Australia in 1979 and subsequently have alternated between the Northern and Southern hemispheres biennially. The first European Championship took place in Spain in May 2004.
Latest information about World Championship venues and results and countries where the Flying 15 is sailed are available on the Flying Fifteen International (FFI) website http://www.flying15.org
Racing
The International Federation is firmly committed to the one-design ideal and is actively promoting tighter tolerances and improved measuring techniques. The Flying Fifteen is now much more tightly toleranced than in the past and it is now not unusual for boats up to or even over five years old to be fully competitive.
Racing takes place both at sea and on inland waters, particularly large reservoirs and lakes to which the Flying Fifteen is well suited. Although national and world championships are an important feature of the class programme, every effort is made to encourage racing at all levels. Club sailing is the backbone of fleets throughout the world and close racing is enjoyed by men and women, both as helm and crew, with all ranges of ability and age.
Events
World Championships
Year |
Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 Perth | .svg.png){kind=small} John Cassidy Don Russell |
Graham Lillingston B. Thornley |
 J. Royce M. Nokes |
| 1980 Hayling Island |  Barry Finlayson] Ian Norrie |
Eddie Gilmore Colin Coffey |
Bernie Trenowth Jr Peter Howard |
| 1982 Napier | Peter Gale Mark Rimmington |
Roger Craddock Stephen Battley |
John McCann William Bassett |
| 1984 Kinsale | Graham Lillingston Mike McKenzie |
Graham Bailey Bill Masterman |
Phil Morrison Martin Gotrel |
| 1986 Hong Kong | Glen Coulton Grant Schultz |
Phil Morrison Nigel Appleton |
Peter Gale Mark Rimmington |
| 1988 Lowestoft | Nigel Buckley Tim Hancock |
Greg Wells Steve Billingham |
Craig Rainey Simon Walsh |
| 1990 Brisbane | Alan Bax Alan Lockhart |
Roger Craddock Steve Cunnold |
Ian Cleaver Greg Wells |
| 1992 Dún Laoghaire | Ruper Mander Gareth Edwards |
Jamie Thompson Michael Brown |
Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
| 1994 Timaru | Roger Craddock Steve Cunnold |
Andrew Ball Stuart Happ |
Rupert Mander Chris Hewkin |
| 1995 Hong Kong | Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
Ian Barker Bill Masterman |
Roger Craddock Steve Cunnold |
| 1997 Cowes | Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
Rupert Mander Chris Hewkin |
David McKee Sally McKee |
| 1999 Esperance | Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
Mike Hart Chris Gowers |
Alan Bax Bill Masterman |
| 2001 Durban | Charles Apthorp Andy Weatherspoon |
Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
Mike Hart Chris Gowers |
| 2003 Dún Laoghaire | Barry Parkin Sue Parkin |
Mike Hart Richard Rigg |
Rod Beurteaux Chris O'Keefe |
| 2005 Auckland | Nick Jerwood Janet Jerwood |
Charles Apthorp Alan Green |
Aaron Goodmanson Alister Rowlands |
| 2007 Puerto Pollenca | Mike Hart Tim Hall |
Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
Aaron Goodmanson Alister Rowlands |
| 2009 Melbourne | Grant Alderson Dean McAullay |
Barry Parkin Tim Hall |
Steve Goacher Phil Evans |
| 2011 Hayling Island | Graham Vials Chris Turner |
Mike McIntyre Gemma McIntyre |
Andy McKee Richard Jones |
| 2013 Hong Kong | Graham Vials Chris Turner |
Nick Jerwood Janet Jerwood |
Grant Alderson Dean McAulley |
| 2015 Crozon-Morgat | Graham Vials Chris Turner |
Jeremy Davy Martin Huett |
Greg Wells Richard Rigg |
| 2017 Napier | Steve Goacher Tim Harper |
Nick Jerwood Janet Jerwood |
Murray Gilbert Jonathan Burgess |
European Championship
RYA Clubs with large Flying Fifteen fleets
- Hayling Island Sailing Club, Hampshire
- Bewl Valley Sailing Club, Lamberhurst, Kent
- Grafham Water Sailing Club, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
- Dinard yacht club, Dinard, Brittany, France
- Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club, Somerset
- Draycote Water Sailing Club, Warwickshire
- Datchet Water Sailing Club, Berkshire
- Royal Windermere Yacht Club, Cumbria
- Loch Lomond Sailing Club, Scotland
- Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Hong Kong
For a full list of clubs see http://www.flying15.org for worldwide fleets and http://www.flying15.org.uk for UK fleets.
Notes and references
- "Keelboat Classes". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- "Portsmouth Number List 2012". Royal Yachting Association. Retrieved 31 July 2012.