Ever since the early days of recreational boating here, Kiwis have been mucking about in skiff-style boats, their lightweight construction and flat-bottomed hulls making them all about speed and thrills.
Designer John Spencer, the king of plywood, brought the world the Cherub and Javelin classes in the 1950s and 60s – both easy to build at home and guaranteed to provide both thrills and spills – while the highly competitive 12 and 18-foot skiff classes have attracted those who like to experiment and push boundaries. Today, despite the concentration on Olympic classes, the introduction of production skiffs such as the 29er and 49er, and international competition pathways for young sailors through classes like the Optimist, there’s still a bunch of hard-core Kiwis who are out there sending it
