The Australian Sharpie is a 3-person sailing dinghy which has evolved from the 12-square-metre class sailed in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Australian Sharpies are 19 feet, 11 3⁄4 inches long, with a planing hull and a single mast. Sharpies race with a fully battened mainsail, a jib and a spinnaker.
They are sailed competitively in all six Australian states. The Australian Sharpie National Titles is run as a carnival each year rotating from state to state. A National Conference is held each year during this event by officials from the Australian Sharpie Sailing Association (ASSA).
Famous Sharpie sailors include 1983 America's Cup winner John Bertrand, Sir James Hardy and John Cuneo.
Read more about Australian Sharpie: Development, The Australian Sharpie Sailing Association, The Annual Carnival and National Titles
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