the Explorer for cruising, an almost rectangular tent called a "cockpit 

 cabin" is provided nearly boom-high at the sides. The centerboard and rud- 

 der will "kick up" if grounded. 



This appears to be a comfortable boat with room for six or even more 

 in the cockpit. One owner said he got his boat planing with four aboard. 



In January 1961 the International Explorer Class Association was formed 

 in New York. Alexander R. Fowler (6 Morse St., Freeport, Me.) is the 

 present Secretary. The builder is Sailstar Boats, a division of the Talman 

 Corporation (770 Main St., West Warwick, R.I.). Construction is of fiber 

 glass. The price, new, is $2045, with used boats selling at $1700. Kits are not 

 available. 



A similar Robert Baker-designed boat, but with a steel centerboard or 

 keel and a 160-square-foot sail area, is being marketed by Sailstar under 

 the class name Pioneer, at a slightly higher price than the Explorer. 



The first National Championship was held at Marblehead, Massachusetts, 

 in 1961. 



VITAL statistics: L.O.A. 17'; beam 6'4"; draft without center- 

 board 9", with C.B. down 4'6"; sail area 155 sq. ft. (spinnaker allowed); 

 weight 520 lbs.; trailable. 



FINN 



The 15-foot cat-rigged Finn centerboarder is one of the five recognized 

 Olympic types. She is the single-hander in which Paul Elvstrom, four-time 

 Olympic winner, made his reputation as "unquestionably the finest single- 

 hander the world has ever seen." The Finn was designed by Richard Sarby 

 of Sweden to be used in the Olympics at Helsinki in 1952. Since then it has 

 been the choice as the Olympic single-hander at Melbourne, Australia 

 (1956), and Naples, Italy (i960), and will be in Japan in 1964. 



There is a story, quoted by Fred Miller, Jr., in One Design Yachtsman, 

 about how the Finn came to be "designed" by Sarby: 



"The Helsinki Olympic Yachting Committee organized the famous 1951 

 international design competition to come up with a permanent Olympic 

 singlehander starting with the '52 Games. Sarby had some definite ideas, 

 but then (as today) Sarby has been incapable of making a drawing any 

 builder, other than himself, could understand and build to. 



"So, the story goes, Sarby set to building a duplicate hull of his fastest 

 (before or since) boat of the open-design class E sailing canoe class. After 

 doing so, making a few minor alterations here and there, he sawed off the 

 last four feet and nailed on a transom. After making sails and putting the 



RACING CLASSES 73 



