G12 Design Features

In order for a yacht to sail well it is important that the weight is kept as low as possible. This is to minimize heeling to stop the wind from spilling off the top of the sails. The hull is hand carved from Red Cedar, a wood known for its lightness and is hollowed to remove as much weight as possible. Her ballast is made from brass (lead free) and connected to the hull by an aluminum fin which has a sloping leading edge designed to help pass through any weed that may have grown in the pond. Her deck is 1.5mm birch ply, traditionally lined and bonded to the hollow hull to form a buoyancy tank making the G12 impossible to sink. The mast is hinged on solid brass deck fittings so it can be folded down for easy transportation and high tensile Dacron cord is used for the rigging.

The engine of a yacht is her sails and so special attention has been paid to their construction. Our yachts come as standard with waterproofed Cambric Cotton sails for that traditional Pond Yacht look. Nylon spinnaker cloth sails are also available on request. The luff (front edge) of the main sail is laced to the mast in order to create a foil shape sail (like an aeroplane wing standing up right) which creates a pulling force helping the little yacht head towards the wind. This effect is increased by having a jib boom on the head sail guiding the air flow over the main sail. 

As the G12 is a free sailing yacht her course is set by trimming (adjusting) her sails. Both the main and Jib sails are fully adjustable.

Another important design factor is to have the center of energy produced by the sails in the correct position along the hull. If this force is to far forward it would make the yacht turn away from the wind, to far back and it would make your yacht turn directly into the wind causing her to stop. Many hours have been spent making sure the mast is in the correct position along the hull so that she is perfectly balanced.

Finally at the top of her mast different colored tell tails can be attached that not only tell you the wind direction but if you are racing another G12, helps define your boat. There is nothing more fun than watching these colorful little yachts cross the lake.