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Naples Sabot Yacht Specifications
(Revised November 19, 2006)

Note: Official Plans are available for the Naples Sabot from INSA for $25.00. The drawings and the specifications below define the sabot’s measurements. If you plan to build a new sabot or make modifications to a sabot, the drawings are absolutely necessary. Send a request for the drawing set, a check for $25 (payable to INSA), your name, address, and email address to the current INSA Secretary.

Naples Sabot yachts shall be built in accordance with the official drawings and the following specifications and shall conform to the Official Drawing of the Association. Nothing is optional unless specifically stated. The use of carbon fiber is restricted to masts, booms, and hiking sticks.

PLANKING:

Plywood, 3/16-inch (or its millimeter equivalent) minimum thickness, or glass reinforced plastic (GRP). Sandwich construction shall not exceed 1 1/2-inch thickness. No cut outs or lightening holes are allowed in planking except for a 1 1/2-inch maximum diameter hole for a pump outlet. Hole must have opaque watertight cover if not in use.

TRANSOMS:

Wood, 1/2-inch minimum thickness. Plastic hull boats must provide adequate stiffness for transoms.

No fixture or lip may protrude forward of the stem except a 5/8-inch maximum thickness of fiberglass or plastic. Likewise, no fixture (except rudder mountings and rudder) nor lip be aft of the transom except a 5/8-inch thickness of fiberglass or plastic. No cut outs or lightening holes are allowed in the transoms except for a 1 1/2-inch maximum diameter hole for a pump outlet. Hole must have opaque watertight cover if not in use.

CHINES:

Wood, laminated construction suggested, 3/4-inch x 2-inches minimum or 3-inch fiberglass tape and fillet. Chines may be omitted on plastic hull boats.

GUNWHALES:

Wood and/or GRP, approximately 1 1/8-inches thickness including plank. The maximum stringer (inside gunwhale) be 1-inch, the minimum be 0-inches in thickness (horizontal).

The maximum thickness of the rub strip (outside gunwhale) is 2-inches and the minimum thickness is 7/16-inch.

The maximum width (vertical) measurement of the stringer and the rub strip is 2 1/2-inches.

KEEL:

Wood and/or GRP, 3/4-inch x 2 5/8 + 0 - 1/4-inch depth at stern transom. GRP boats may omit the inner keel.

THWARTS:

Wood, 1/2-inch minimum thickness, if constructed of GRP must provide adequate strength and stiffness. A strut extending from the gunwhale to the keel or extending to any location on a rib on the bottom of the boat and designed to reinforce the gunwhale or leeboard fitting is not allowed in any location between the foreward side of the mid-ship thwart and the aft side of the forward thwart. (Struts on sabots registered before September 1, 2006 are exempted from this ruling.)

Forward Thwart

(Mast Partner) 3-inch minimum width at throat. Maximum width 7 1/2-inches. Cut outs or lightening holes permitted provided width of solid material equals 3-inches. Maximum height of the thwart above the sheer is 1-inch. If a portion of the forward thwart is formed by the top of an integral tank, that portion may not extend within 3-inches below sheer, and is not required to meet the thickness requirement. Bow flotation may not extend aft of forward thwart.

Mid-ship Thwart

7 1/2-inches wide, plus 1 1/2-inches, minus 0, at upper surface with not more than 1/4-inch radius allowed on edges. If cut outs or lightening holes are used, at least 50% of the required area must remain. The thickness requirement of 1/2-inch minimum must be met for a least 50% of the required area. If center thwart is formed by the top of an integral flotation tank, it is not required to meet the thickness requirement.

Stern Thwart

7 1/2-inches width, plus 1-inch, minus 0, at upper surface with maximum radius of 1/4-inch allowed on forward edge. If cut outs or lightening holes are used at least 50% of the required area must remain. The thickness requirement of 1/2-inch minimum must be met for at least 50% of the required area. If stern thwart is formed by the top of an integral flotation tank, it is not required to meet the thickness requirement. The forward corner of such an integral tank cannot be within 3-inches of sheer at that point.

KNEES AND BRACES:

Knees, corner braces and under thwart braces may be constructed of wood, GRP, or metal and are optional as to exact shape and dimensions. Maximum height of knees and/or corner braces above the sheer is 1-inch.

Under thwart braces may be deleted where thwart forms top of integral flotation tank.

MAST STEP AND TUBE:

Maximum movement or play at the bottom of the mast tube shall be 1/4-inch.

The maximum diametral clearance between the mast tube and mast partner is 1/8-inch (1/16-inch free opening all around).

The height of the top of the mast tube above the sheer shall not exceed 10-inches. The depth of the mast in tube below the sheer is 8 1/4-inches plus or minus 1/4-inch.

Fiberglass boats only: The mast step may be a block or plug firmly affixed or a part of the hull.

MAST:

Solid wood, laminated construction, hollow GRP, aluminum or carbon fiber is permissible. Hollow GRP or aluminum mast must provide filler blocks or other means to permit attachment of fittings without the use of special tools. A mast in two parts with a slip joint at approximately the midpoint is allowed. Mast and fittings must have positive buoyancy in salt water. The mast shall rotate with the boom, and the rake shall not be adjustable while under way. There is no restriction on the mast flexibility as long as the mast conforms to the dimensions on plans. Mast diameter is 2-inches + 1/8-inch - 1/4-inch. Note: the lower 20 inches of a mast may exceed 2-inch diameter to obtain a close fit with mast tube.

SAIL:

Cloth shall be a dacron or nylon woven cloth only. Mylar, kevlar, spectra or other exotic fabrics or films shall not be allowed (except windows).

To be constructed with mast sleeve and shall be loose-footed. Halyards and reefing gear are prohibited, and sail must be fixed to the mast at the head. Outhauls and downhauls are permitted.

When stretched to remove wrinkles shall not exceed:

Leech - 11'11" maximum edge of clew to head, not including sleeve. (No part of leech shall lie outside of line drawn between head of sail and outside edge of top batten pocket).
Luff - 10'10" maximum head to tack, not including sleeve.
Foot - 7'0" maximum edge of clew to edge of tack, not including sleeve. 7-inch maximum foot round.

Measurements of sleeve laid flat (Cross Measurements):

2 3/4-inch maximum at top
4-inch maximum at 1/2 height
4 1/4-inch maximum at bottom

Sleeve shall be 1 1/2-inches maximum vertically above head of sail.

Maximum length of all battens 12-inches.

2 battens in leech approximately equally spaced.
1 batten near middle of foot.

Windows are permitted:

One 6-inch maximum diameter telltale window.
All other windows shall be below the midgirth line and shall not total more than 450 square inches.

MIDGIRTH SAIL MEASUREMENT TO BE 4'-5" MAXIMUM:

Midgirth measurement to be found by folding sail from head to clew and marking midpoint on leech; then folding sail from head to tack and marking midpoint. Measurement is taken across these two marks with sail laid so it does not fold or wrinkle in this area.

SAIL NUMBERS:

The following exceptions are made to ISAF Rule G1.2: Strongly contrasting colors are acceptable. Numbers of two alternating and strongly contrasting colors are acceptable. Yellow, gray, fluorescents of any hue, and shadow numbers are not acceptable.

BOOM:

Rigid wood, aluminum, GRP, or carbon fiber construction. Vertical and horizontal dimensions shall not exceed 2-inches. Hollow GRP or aluminum booms must provide filler blocks or other means to permit attachment of fittings without the use of special tools. Boom and fittings must have positive buoyancy in salt water.

HIKING STRAPS AND TILLER EXTENSIONS:

Are acceptable devices.

GOOSENECK:

The gooseneck shall be hinged vertically only so that the boom will cause the mast to rotate. The boom heel pin must be not more than 24-inches from the butt of the mast. The boom may rotate about its longitudinal axis.

RIGGING:

Shrouds or stays are prohibited.

HARDWARE:

The design of hardware and fittings is optional except for the functional restrictions contained herein and on the Official Plan. The choice of material for any of the fittings is optional.

LEEBOARD:

Top of leeboard to be not less than 4-inches above sheer. Its contour is specified on the Official Plan. It must be rigidly attached on the starboard side gunwhale at Station 3. A second attachment point may be along the starboard side of the boat in the area of Station 3. The only adjustment allowed is rotation of the leeboard around the thwartship oriented horizontal attachment bolt. The rigid attachment must prevent excessive athwartship movement of the leeboard; a maximum tolerance of 1 1/4-inch total free horizontal movement is allowed, measured at the tip with the leeboard rotated to the horizontal position.

Only one hole in the leeboard is permitted and that hole shall not be more than 1/8-inch larger than the fitting. Horizontal location optional. Leeboard may be fabricated from wood or GRP but must have positive buoyancy in fresh water. Finish optional.

RUDDER:

The space between the leading edge of the rudder and the aft face of the aft transom shall not exceed 1-inch maximum. Bottom of rudder shall not be more than 15-inches below the outside of the bottom planking at the transom. Its contour is specified on the Official Plan. It must be rigidly attached to the stern transom and must not be adjustable vertically or fore or aft. Pivot type rudders are prohibited. Rudder may be fabricated from wood or GRP but must have positive buoyancy in fresh water. Finish optional.

WEIGHT:

The minimum weight for a complete Naples Sabot is 95 pounds. This weight includes hull, tiller, rudder, leeboard, sail, mast, boom, blocks, sheets, painter, paddle and Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Fixed permanent ballast not exceeding five (5) pounds may be used in the hull to achieve this minimum weight. Balance of weight must be in yacht structure or aforesaid equipment.

BUOYANCY:

The hull, with permanent ballast (if required) must provide at least 10 pounds of positive buoyancy in fresh water. This may be accomplished by flotation tanks and/or a double bottom.

HULL NUMBER:

All Naples Sabots built after January 1, 1987 shall be assigned a yacht number by the Association. All boat builders shall permanently embed this number on the inside of the hull.

AMENDMENTS:

The Board of Directors shall add to the "Specifications," as amendments hereto, such Board Meeting Minutes as affect measurement and do not appear either on the plans or current "Specifications."

No yacht builder or sailmaker, private or commercial, has the right, expressed or implied, to change models or to deviate from the plans and specifications and open dinghy intent of the Naples Sabot, or to incorporate new or different manufacturing materials and techniques without written approval of the Board of Directors of the International Naples Sabot Association.

A commercial builder shall submit a prototype hull from a new or modified mold to the Chief Measurer for written approval before hull numbers may be issued.

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