The Holdfast Trainer is a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

dinghy A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or Towing, towed by a Watercraft, larger vessel for use as a Ship's tender, tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they diffe ...

designed in 1948 for junior sailors under the required age of 16. Based on the

Sabot Sabot may refer to: * Sabot (firearms), disposable supportive device used in gunpowder ammunitions to fit/patch around a sub-caliber projectile * Sabot (shoe), a type of wooden shoe People * Dick Sabot (1944–2005), American economist and bus ...

, the class features a hard-chine wooden or fiberglass hull with a flat (or "pram") bow and a

daggerboard A daggerboard is a retractable centreboard used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, co ...

. Unlike the Sabot, the Holdfast Trainer has both a

main Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...

and a

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its forward corner (tack) is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main ty ...

in order to facilitate a two-person crew and to teach jib handling. To make space for the jib, the mast was stepped further back and a

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar (sailing), spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestay, forestays. The bowsprit’s purpose is to create ...

was added. Modern versions include waterproof bulkheads to provide additional flotation. The boat has been sailed for many years by 8 to 15 year olds at South Australian sailing clubs, with the first state championships being held in 1958 and still continuing on today. One of those clubs, the Port Lincoln Yacht Club, has continuously sailed the dinghy for over 50 years, and held their 50th Anniversary celebrations for the class in 2010 at the recent states and metropolitan championships. South Australian Premier

Steven Marshall Steven Spence Marshall (born 21 January 1968) is a former Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He was a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the ...

learned to sail in a Holdfast Trainer.Steven Marshall's Story
''Liberal Party SA'' (YouTube), January 19, 2018.

References

External links

SA Holdfast Trainer Association
{{Sailing Dinghies and Skiffs Dinghies

See also

References

External links