Micro class

As some of you, who follow us since a long time, will know, B.C.A. - Demco Kit has tried to promote the revival of the Micro Class in Italy. Micros are small "cruisers" (maximum hull length of 5.50 meters), fast but not extreme, fairly cheap, and suitable for amateur building. This sailing class was created in France in 1977, and was widespread in Italy in the Eighties, but its diffusion decreased and eventually the Micro Class disappeared as a racing class. Thanks to our initiative there has been some activity in the Micro’s Italian scene in past years, but too little for us to be satisfied with it.

This year there is an important news that leads to hope for some improvement: there is a real Class Association, whose President is enthusiastic Gianni Filippini. The Association also has its own website (www.microclassitalia.it), to which you can refer for more detailed information and has organized a raid on Lake Maggiore, from 27 April to 2 May 2013. In spite of the bad weather which dominated in that period the raid has been a success, with ten boats participating. There is also an Italian Championship, based on various races, which is in progress.

We are very pleased to see a fleet of Micro sailing in Italy, and we hope that this is the first step to a real return of Italian crews in the international racing scene of the Class.

We wish the new organization to be successful, and we invite our readers to direct their interests into this sailing class, that we consider appealing for many reasons. Here they are:

the fundamental principle that lies beneath the creation of the class, namely racing with a cheap, easily transportable, fast yet not extreme yacht, also suitable for small cruises, is well-founded and reasonable, as it is proved by the success it is achieving abroad.

The rules system, typical of a development class, is stimulating for designers as well as racers, and gives amateurs the opportunity to test their creativity and skills.

The class ambiance, competitive yet friendly and relaxed, is pleasant and can give satisfaction to both the fierce racer and the Sunday sailor.

Though not largely developed where it originated (France and other Western European countries), the Micro Class is increasingly widespread in Central and Eastern Europe, allowing for a busy calendar of regattas, and always at least thirty boats racing.

The races are usually held in pleasant, tourist districts easily reachable by road from Italy, transporting the boat on a trailer.

Not least, specifically regarding our activities, the Micro Class is one of the few classes in which a amateur-built boat has good chances. In fact, we have three Micros in our catalog, and one of them, SAM, has already quite successfully participated to a Class World Championship. In Italy Micros can race also in the races organized for the Open Cruising Class, unless minimum length limitations are in use by the local organizing club. We suggest to look at the F.I.V. (Federazione Italiana Vela) calendar for the regattas’ dates. The Velalonga race in Venice is traditionally open to Micros.

On the Class’ website www.microclass.org you will find the calendar of international regattas, yacht rating limitations, pictures and technical characteristics of standard Micro and prototypes, and more news.

Main requirements and limitations for the Micro Class

Maximum hull length: m 5.50

Maximum beam: m 2.45

Maximum draft: m 1.10

Sail area Main + Genoa: m² 18.50

Sail area Spinnaker: m² 18.50

Berths (minimum): 3

Minimum weight: kg 450