What are the differences between a 420 and a 470?

Question

Sailboats.

Answer 1

The most obvious difference is the size.  The 420 is 4.2 meters long, the 470 is 4.7 meters long.. so the 470 is about half a meter longer.

Both boats have the same general setup with a mainsail, jib and spinnaker, with the 470's gear proportionally bigger than the 420's.  Both boats also have a single trapeze for the crew.  Both were designed in the 1960s and are very popular around the world.  Overall, they are very similar boats... the 470 is just bigger.

As a smaller boat, the 420 is often found in junior sailing programs, as it's appropriately sized for younger sailors.  Most adults would find the boat's cockpit too small to have a lot of fun in.

The 470 is an Olympic class boat for both men and women.  It is usually an OK size for medium-sized adults, but is generally a bit on the small size for large and extra large sailors.

With trapeze and spinnaker, both boats are very technical.  For a simpler sailing experience, you may want to look at a boat like a Vanguard 15, Snipe or Tasar which do not have spinnaker or trapeze, but which are still very fun to sail.

If you are choosing a boat to purchase and sail, you should definitely try to hitch a ride on a number of boats of different types with local sailors in your area -- this way you can get a feel for the size and handling characteristics of each boat.

Answer 2

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