dimensions of 470 sailboat

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• Sailboat Guide

470 is a 15 ′ 5 ″ / 4.7 m monohull sailboat designed by Andre Cornu and built by Fountaine Pajot, MacKay Boats Ltd., Parker Yachts, Nautivela, and Mader Bootswerft starting in 1963.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

2 person centerboard class with trapeze. An Olympic class since 1976. Separate events for men and women since 1988. The 470 is sailed in more than 60 countries. Spinnaker: 140 sq. ft. 1 Trapeze.

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Harnessing technical, tactical and athletic performance, all in one package. 

Since our first build in 1993, a Mackay built 470 has helped produce Olympic glory and world champion sailors year on year.

Find out more in the Features section below

Specifications

Hull Length                            4.7

Beam Length                        1.7

Mainsail Area                       9.45 m2

Headsail Area                       3.59 m2

Spinnaker Area                    12.16 m2

Boat Weight                          120 kg

Number of Trapeze             Single

Year of status                        1969

Type                                       Centreboard Boat

No. of Crew                           2

Opt Crew Weight                 110 - 145

Hull Material                         GRP

The 470 is a double handed, mixed crew Olympic yacht.

470 Class Association website :  http://www.470.org/

The 470 is a light and narrow boat (length 4.7m and beam 1.7m with a weight of 120kg), that responds easily and immediately to body movement. 

The skipper is normally smaller and lighter (1.65m to 1.8m and 55kg to 65kg) and the crew is taller (1.75m to 1.85m yet only 65kg -75kg). The crew's build lets him or her hang far out on the trapeze to keep the boat level in all conditions.

Since our first build in 1993, a Mackay built 470 has helped produce Olympic glory and world champion sailors year on year. Over the years we have refined our knowledge on what makes this boat go fast.

Our boats have a reputation for high strength and stiffness . We focus on these two areas so that the boat will hold high rig tension and not flex in the bow and mid sections.

It also means that the tune of the boat will not change through a season of racing so that the rig tensions and mast bends will not alter as the season progresses.

In 2018 we produced a new mould which we believe is the ultimate for a mixed crew combination heading to Paris 2024.

The mould is designed to maximise the energy from body pumping while also making the boat easy to sail. It was designed with help from sailors, Nathan Wilmont and Jo Aleh, who worked alongside our navel architect, Kevin Trotter.

Part of the success with our latest design comes from adding a little bouyancy in the back of the boat which will make it easier to steer in waves and easier to catch small waves downwind. Bouyancy is also added in the front to balance the changes in the stern.

All of the ribs on our boats are vacuum clamped foam with chopped mat and uni-directional rovings on top. We obtain extra strength from the rigidity of the foam itself.

The construction techniques we use give greater longevity and therefore eliminate the need to replace the boat every year or two. We believe that our construction techniques are as advanced as allowed by the rules.

The building process also involves a considerable amount of custom workmanship. We concentrate on building fewer boats but of a very high quality. We have placed the greatest importance on workmanship,  care and attention to detail.

International 470 Class History

In 1963, French architect Andre Cornu designed the two-handed centerboard boat as a modern high performance fiberglass planing dinghy which could be sailed by anyone. And the craft so influenced European sailing that the 470 is directly credited with drawing new sailors to the sport during the 1960s and '70s.

The 470 has been an Olympic class boat since 1976. It is sailed today for both family recreation and superior competition by more than 30,000 sailors in 42 countries worldwide. 

In 1988, women officially entered Olympic sailing competition with the first-ever 470 Women's event. This boat is especially well-suited to women's competition because of its light weight, maneuverability and light crew weight requirement.

Click here to view more information on the history of the 470.

470: Recent Success for Mackay Boats

470: The history of its success

Can mackay's customise the layout of the boat.

Yes. Nearly all 470 are customised to suit your own preferences.

What can be customised?

We offer options for most control systems on the boats. Go to our 470 order form to see the options available. International 470 Package - Mackay Boats - NZL

Can you do other fitout options not on the list?

Yes. Many teams send us pictures with their own personal systems for us to copy.

What fitout options do the top crews choose?

All teams have something slightly different, but generally most top teams choose the continuous rig tension system (Option c) , the 4:1 up  with 2:1 down centreboard system (Option a) and the carbon jib brackets. These are the only 2 systems that most top teams have in common.

How to do a gelcoat repair?

Small gel coat repairs are relatively easy to do. 

What is Gelcoat made up of?

Gelcoat is a polyester product that is cured by using a catalyst called MEKP. (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide)

MEKP is a dangerous substance and should be treated as such when using, being very careful not to get any on your skin or in your eyes.

How can I get the catalyst - MERK?

We cannot ship MEKP so you will always need to buy it separately from your local marine store or fibreglass manufacturer.

How much MERK do I need?

The amount of Catalyst varies depending on the conditions you are using it in, but around 2%-3% will always work.

It is best to use a small syringe or dropper to get the required catalyst rate.

If you have mixed 100gm of gelcoat, then you are aiming for 2ml of catalyst.

What are the Gelcoat colours?

Gelcoats colours are not always a 100% perfect match.

Colour will vary depending on the depth of the repair and the batch.

470  White-  LS30    White PA 337

470  Grey- Grey RAL 7035

Blue = is supplier by Nuplex who have their own code which is not an international code

Does Mackay Boats supply gelcoat?

We supply a small tin (of each relevant colour) with each new boat.

Order additional gelcoat from our store, although it cannot be shipped by courier.

How do I do gelcoat repairs?

Doing gelcoat repairs is an art that improves with experience.

Making sure the surface is prepared well and keyed up is critical.

Overfill and then sanding back is a slow and time-consuming process.

Be very careful not to scratch the boat around the repair.

You shouldn’t sand the original surface around the repair with any paper coarser than 600grit.

Mask around the repair to protect the boat.

You can initially use a file or 150g to take the high parts off the filling, but don't use the coarse paper for too long or you will end up with scratches in the finished repair.

Once you have it fair with 600g, you can work your way through the sandpaper grades until you finish with 1500grit before cutting and polishing.

We would typically use 600g, then 800g or 1000g, then 1200g, then finally 1500g.

How do you fit a mylar gasket to a 470?

Please watch a demonstration:  Fitting a mylar gasket

470 Tuning Tips

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US 470 Class Association

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 35

Photo Credit:

Photo Credit: Will Ricketson, US Sailing Team

About US 470 Class Association

Olympic equipment of choice for the men’s and women’s two-person dinghy – representing the world of two-person spinnaker sailing at the Olympics. The 470 has been raced at every Olympics since 1976. In 1988, a women’s event was added. For the 2024 Olympics, the 470 will revert to mixed.

Boats Produced: 34,500

Class boat builder(s):

Mackay Boats (NZL), Ziegelmayer (GER), Sports Center (POL), Yamaha (JPN)

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 100+/-. 1850+/- registered all time in the USA.

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Miami, FL; Newport, RI

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? Yes

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  2

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  300+/-

Boat Designed in  1963

Length (feet/inches): 4.7m

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 120kg

Draft: 0.1m

Mast Height: 7.2m

Back to One-Design Central

Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->

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Support / One-design deck layouts

470 Deck Layout

Spinnaker Pump Halyard System

A 1:2 reverse purchase on the halyard allows the skipper to raise the spinnaker twice as fast. Pulling the pump handle .6 m (2 ft) off the cockpit floor raises the spinnaker 1.2 m (4 ft). A 1:5 shock-cord halyard take-up system automatically manages accumulating line during the rapid chute deployment.

The cascaded vang uses super strong single, double, and triple 16 mm blocks for a powerful 16:1 mechanical advantage. The skipper can play the vang from either side of the boat.

Two-Car Mainsheet

This fast-tacking two-car system halves the distance a single car would travel. The bridle and the 2:1 side-to-side traveler controls raise and lower the floating mainsheet block for perfect mainsail twist. Mainsheet tension tightens the leech and reduces twist.

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Class History

The International 470, designed in 1963 by 505 sailor André Cornu, is a high-performance planing dinghy for both men and women. Responsive to weight placement, this two-person one-design is tactically demanding and requires fluid coordination between the skipper and crew. The 470 is easy to sail, but racing and flying the spinnaker from the trapeze provides additional challenges for sailors. The 470 made its Olympic debut in 1976, and in 1988 was selected for the Games first women's sailing event.

Links International 470 Class McLube™ Harken Canvas

Boat Specifications

Length: 4.7 m, 15 ft 5 in Weight: 120 kg, 264 lbs Sail Area: 12.7 sq m, 137 sq ft Jib: 3.58 sq m, 39 sq ft Main: 9.12 sq m, 98 sq ft Spinnaker: 13 sq m, 140 sq ft

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The 470 is the equipment used for the Men and Women's Two Person Dinghy event at the Olympic Games. Our World Championships usually attract more than 130 boats.

A 470 skipper usually weighs between 50 and 65kg with a crew around 65 to 75kg. The class was designed in 1963 by Frenchman Andre Cornu. It made its first appearance at Olympic Games at Montreal in 1976 as an open gender event, remaining so until it was split into seperate mens and womens events in Seoul 1988.

The class is renowned for its close racing, and is known as the most 'technical' class in the Olympic Games. But no one sails them because they like fiddling with little ropes, nuts and bolts instead of sailing. The real reason anyone sails a 470 is because of the challenges they present.

All the options available are a lot to get your head around. The 470 has no set position for the mast step, no set lengths for the stays, typically sets up with adjustable spreaders and allows for variations in sail and foil design. A 470 skipper has lines controlling the mainsheet, traveller, vang, cunningham, jib car position, centreboard and rig tension at their side. The foremost challenge of sailing a 470 is understanding the tuning and set up of the boat, then being able to balance making changes in the boat with sailing fast and racing.

Its next challenge lies in setting up with a symmetrical spinnaker and the class rules suspending Rule 42 to allow kinetics when the breeze is greater than eight knots. Sailing with a spinnaker on a moving pole opens up an array of downwind angles, ranging from close reaching to soaking deep by the lee. Imagine coming around the top mark and seeing the boats around you fly off in different directions with no idea which way will prove to be fastest. The best 470 sailors have an arsenal of downwind styles available and are able to switch in and out of them to not only stay fast, but to race smart as well.

Open up every downwind angle and you open up an array of pumping and ooching styles, meaning that 470 sailors are literally forcing their boats downwind faster than they want to go. A significant development over the last Olympic cycle has been the refining of the upwind pumping, with many crews now unhooking from the wire in early trapezing conditions to use their full force to pump the rig in a manner similar to a bird flapping its wings. It is not unusual to see see a fleet of 470s starting in around 10 knots with all of their sails beating like windsurfers.

The 470 isn't a boat you can just buy in a box. It isn't a boat with magic go fast numbers or equipment. The range available means that the sailors have to spend the time to develop and understand their own styles, techniques and equipment to get to the top. It can be funny to observe the different personalities, ranging from the neurotic tuners to the ballpark set and forgetters, interacting in the boat park before a regatta. Like all Olympic classes, the 470 is a class you need to devote a significant amount of time an energy to before you start to master it. But as you get closer, you get a lot of satisfaction feeling every little advance in speed and technique coming together