Independence Class

We are delighted that our Independence Class Yacht has now been recognized by the AMYA. The boat was designed by Eric Schade in 2000, is 47.5 inches long, 11.5 inches wide and about 15 pounds in weight with keel and all rigging and sails. The hull is constructed of 1/8 inch plywood with a wooden keel blade and a lead bulb. Masts are spruce or fir, are unstayed, and measure about 60 inches from the deck. Sail area is approximately 1,050 square inches. The boat is easily disassembled for travel and storage.

The Independence Yacht is a very strict one design class with the intention that all boats be roughly equal in speed and in pointing ability across all wind and water conditions. The Class Rules state that "unless the rules specifically state that something is permitted it shall be assumed to be prohibited."

The boats are very sturdy compared with most model yachts making them ideal for the stresses and occasional collisions of active class racing. They sail very well in a variety of wind and water conditions and do not submarine when sailing downwind in a stiff breeze.

Our records indicate that there are about 75 yachts in existence and we have 25 of them (and another ten under construction) at the Pequot Yacht Club in Southport, Connecticut which is an AMYA registered club. We have active and friendly racing two days a week throughout each summer with two or three organized regattas. The first annual Independence Class Regatta is scheduled for Saturday August 13th at 10:30 — please contact the Class Secretary for details. Our competitors range in age from 12 to the mid 80's. All Independence owners who have registered with the Class Secretary Laura Wilbur and are AMYA members are welcome and encouraged to sail and race with us.

The class approved kit supplier is Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD. They sell full kits containing everything necessary to build a boat and partial kits containing just the precut wooden materials and/or the lead keel bulb. Their website has some excellent photos and videos of our boats. The full kits include sail materials but most of us use sails made by class approved sail makers KB Sails or Carr Sails. Bow bumpers which are mandatory under class rules are supplied by Hans Berger