# 420 (dinghy)

The International 420 Dinghy is a sailing dinghy popular for racing and teaching. The hull is fiberglass with internal buoyancy tanks. The 420 has a bermuda rig, spinnaker and trapeze. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, and is designed to plane easily. The 420 is an International class recognised by World Sailing. The name refers to the boat's length of 420 centimetres (4.2 m; 13 ft 9 in).

## History

The International 420 was designed by Christian Maury in France in the year 1959. The class developed rapidly in France, being adopted nationally as a youth trainer for the larger Olympic class International 470. By the late 1960s the class was adopted by a few UK university sailing clubs for training and team racing.

### Construction

The class adopted a policy of "prudent evolution" so as to allow development without making existing dinghies obsolete. The hull's seaworthiness and stability at speed proved to be better than most of its contemporaries, and this together with its modest sail area make it fun to sail in heavy weather and thus an excellent youth trainer, qualities that led to its adoption for that role by the Royal Yachting Association in the mid-1970s. In addition, the international 420 is known for its inherent lightness. The floatability of the boat made for a safer training vessel.
With its trapeze and spinnaker it provides the capability for advanced sailing techniques for international standard sailors, while still remaining affordable and accessible to beginners. The International 420 maintains a large multinational class association. The combination of effective class management, the boat's inherent sailing qualities, and prudent evolution have contributed to the class's continuing success.

## Club 420

The Club 420, or C420, is a derivative of the 420 and is not recognized by World Sailing or the International 420 Class Association. Designed by Vanguard boats in the 1970s, it has a heavier hull, reinforced for durability in institutional sailing, and a stiff, untapered mast. The boat is much more simple to sail, yet lacks the performance of the original dinghy due to its extra weight. The Club 420 is used extensively on the youth race circuit in the US, with over 5,000 boats in North America, but is not sailed in most other countries. It cannot be used at I420 class events.

## Z420

The Z420 is a transformation of the Club 420. The Z420 hull is 50 pounds (23 kg) lighter and 40 percent stiffer than the C420. Whereas a C420 hull is composed of six pieces, the Z420 has only three molded components: the hull, the deck, and the mast partners. Unlike the C420, the Z420 does not include a spinnaker or trapeze in its rigging. Z420 boats are specially designed for college sailing and were used at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association National Championships in 2014 for the first time.

## Events
### 420 World Championships

Held every year since 1973 organized by the International 420 Class Association and recognised by World Sailing. Three fleets current race separately which are the Male & Mixed, Female and Open Under 17.

### 420 Team Racing World Championship

The boat has been used for team racing in both the ISAF Team Racing World Championship and the ISAF World Sailing Games however the class established its own team racing competition in 2015. Only the International 14 and Optimist (dinghy) class association hold a team racing based World Championships in addition to the two discipline led events.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 2015 Lake Garda | Spain | Italy | Portugal |
| 2016 Lake Garda | | | |

### IYRU Women World Championships

| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1978 Monnickendam | Cathy Foster (GBR) Wendy Hilder (GBR) | Marie Chrustine Hue (FRA) Claire Lefur (FRA) | Genevieve Levaillant (FRA) Blandine Levaillant (FRA) |
| 1978 Rochester | Cathy Foster (GBR) Wendy Hilder (GBR) | Taylor (USA) Lewis (USA) | Currey (GBR) Blake (GBR) |
| 1980 Skovshoved | Christina Mazzaferro (ITA) Emanuela Galeazzi (ITA) | Anna Bacchiega (ITA) Paola Bacchiega (ITA) | Marie-Christine Hue (FRA) Claire Le Fur (FRA) |
| 1981 Stintino | Christina Mazzaferro (ITA) Manuela Galeazzi (ITA) | Cathy Foster (GBR) Wendy Hilder (GBR) | Anna Bacchiega (ITA) Nives Monico (ITA) |
| 1989 Palma | Nuria Bover (ESP) Sylvia Summer (ESP) | Giorgia Gaudino (ITA) Sara Gaudino (ITA) | Stephanie Pornin (FRA) Rouan (FRA) |

### World Sailing – Youth Sailing World Championships

The class has been used extensively at the Youth Sailing World Championships which run by World Sailing this is different to the Class Worlds by way that equipment is supplied and entries are limited to one entry per nations but often from more nations.

## Events
### Club 420 North American Championship

| Year | Gold | Silver |
| 2018 New Bedford Community Sailing, MA | Luke Arnone Noble Renyoso | Jack Murphy Tommy Szymanski |
| 2017 Buffalo Canoe Club, ON | Maddie Hawkins Kimberly Leonard | Sarah Burn Patricia Gerli |
| 2016 Cabrillo Beach YC, CA | Cole Harris Tanner Chapko | Luke Arnone Mariner Fagan |
| 2015 Sail NC, NC | Henry Burnes Peter Barron | Eduardo Mintzias Katie Lounsbury |
| 2014 Brant Beach Yacht Club, NJ | Martina Sly Ian Morgan | Nick Hernandez Zack Jordan |
| 2013 St. Margaret Sailing Club, NS, CAN | Charlie Lomax Evan Morgan | Nicholas Sertl Elizabeth Pemberton |
| 2012 Falmouth Yacht Club, MA | Bradley Adam Charles MacBain | Max Simmons Riley Legault |
| 2011 Buffalo Canoe Club, ON, CAN | Malcolm Lamphere Riley Legault | Alex Curtiss Jackie Capellini |
| 2010 Brant Beach Yacht Club, NJ | Pearson Potts Caitlin Connerney | Graham Landy Colin Murphy |
| 2009 Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, MI | Taylor Canfield Stephanie Roble | Marlena Fauer Christina Lewis |
| 2008 Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club, NY | Stephanie Hudson Laura McKenna | Louis Padnos Ben Spector |
| 2007 Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, CA | Adam Roberts Nick Martin | Taylor Canfield Perry Emsiek |
| 2006 Bellport Bay Yacht Club, NY | Taylor Canfield Nate Rosenberg | Molly Lucas Charlotte Williams |
| 2005 Beverly Yacht Club, MA | Tyler Sinks Ben Totder | Steven Barbano Dan Liberty |
| 2004 St. Thomas Yacht Club, USVI | TJ Tullo Niki Kennedy | John Kempton Molly Lucas |
| 2003 Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, ON, CAN | Leight Kempton Kaity Storck | Chris Behm Meg Callahan |
| 2002 Wayzata Yacht Club, MN | TJ Tullo John Sampson | Lee Sackett Mandy Sackett |
| 2001 | Marc Sorbo Ryan Heaney | John Howell Nick Nelson |
| 2000 Barrington Yacht Club, RI | Kerry Logue Liz McCarthy | Allison Robin Rebecca Doane |
| 1999 Plymouth Yacht Club, MA | Erin Maxwell Leslie Sandberg | Peter Deming Cameron Williams |
| 1998 | Maxwell Manning Ashley Lang | |
| 1997 Bristol, RI | Peter Levesque Nicole Ernst | John Mollicone Heather Tow-Yick |
| 1996 (Scituate Harbor YC) | Mike Richards Leah Williams Falmouth YC | |
| 1995 (Plymouth YC) | Tim Fallon Martha Carleton Wild Harbor YC | |
| 1994 (Portland YC) | Tim Fallon Martha Carleton Wild Harbor YC | |
| 1993 (Wianno YC) | Andrew Buttner Laura Stearns of Plymouth YC | |
| 1992 (Hyannis YC) | Robbie Richards & Margaret Gill of Falmouth YC | |

### Club 420 US National Championship

| Year | Gold | Silver |
| 2018 Brant Beach YC, NJ | Ansgar Jordan Patrick Mulcahy | Luke Arnone Noble Reynoso |
| 2017 Wianno Yacht Club, MA | Tucker Weed Olivia de Olazarra | Boyd Bragg Aisling Sullivan |
| 2016 Falmouth YC, MA | Nicholas Marwell Aidan Morgan | Kyle Dochoda George Sidamon-Eristoff |
| 2015 Sail Newport, Newport, RI | Stephanie Houck Camille White | Timothy Greehouse Jack DeNatale |
| 2014 San Diego YC, CA | Scott Sinks Rebecca McElvain | Max Brill Ian Brill |
| 2013 Lake Geneva YC, WI | Carter Cameron Ian Dilling | Mary Claire Kiernan Lucy Wilmont |
| 2012 California YC, CA | Will La Dow Nikki Obel | Jack Jorgensen Savanna Willard |
| 2011 Sheridan Shores SS, IL | Chuckie Eaton Trevor Hecht | Ben Herman Mason Ryan |
| 2010 California YC, CA | Kieran Chung Ryan Davidson | Jack Ortel Kelly Ortel |
| 2009 Conanicut & Jamestown YC, RI | Nick Johnstone Katia DaSilva | Marcus Edegran Teddy Mark |
| 2008 Stanford SC, CA | Tyler Sinks Miles Gutenkunst | Louis Padnos Ben Spector |
| 2007 Wazayta SS, MN | Sam Williams Margaret Rew | Sydney Bolger Kayla McComb |
| 2006 | No Event | |
| 2005 | No Event | |
| 2004 | No Event | |
| 2003 Youngstown YC, NY | Martin Sterling Sean Doyle | Charlie Modica Patrick Bordner |
| 2002 Youngstown YC, NY | Lauren Padilla Robbie Ginnebau | TJ Tullo John Sampson |
| 2001 No Event | | |
| 2000 Grosse Point YC, MI | Nathan Hollerbech Carrie Howe | Lauren Padilla Ellen Padilla |