Club 420

Description

The Club 420 (C420) is a slightly modified, youth-oriented version of the International 420 dinghy, introduced in 1993 by Vanguard (now Zim Sailing) specifically for American high-school and collegiate training and racing programs, featuring the same 4.2-meter (13 ft 9 in) fiberglass hull and planing performance as the International 420 but with a simplified rig—no trapeze, no spinnaker pole (gennaker on a fixed bowsprit instead of a full symmetric spinnaker), and a single trapeze wire for the crew—making it more forgiving, less expensive, and easier to manage for developing sailors while still delivering fast, exciting racing in a strict one-design format. With over 6,000 boats built and active fleets at virtually every U.S. high-school and college program from California to New England, the C420 has become the dominant double-handed youth trainer in North America, supported by the active Club 420 Association (club420.org) that runs national championships, regional events, and a huge used-boat market where good boats routinely sell for $3,000–$6,000. Durable, lightweight (100 kg/220 lb. minimum), and capable of planing upwind in 12–15 knots,