The fleet arrived in 2012; there are six altogether but use two at a time. They were purchased from the Rochester yacht club by parents of students who attended the harbor school. Fordham University in the Bronx donated the sails, so they have "Rams” written on them. The 420 is 4.20 meters long, which is how it got its name, just about 14 ft. They’re designed to be sailed competitively by two people, but you can squeeze a third for fun. They are not very stable boats and require excellent weight placement to sail well. The weight of the sailors keeps the boat from capsizing by wind but can still be the reason for a capsize. The steadiest wind is still constantly changing, so paying attention, analyzing, and reacting quickly and athletically is essential. Capsizing is a relatively common occurrence in routine 420 sailings, especially if the breeze is up or the sailors push themselves to go as fast as possible. The boats are easy enough to the right, and continue sailing with practice, but anyone getting in one needs to be prepared to get wet. Even if there are no capsizes, a wet crew is almost guaranteed, so proper clothing is essential. When it's colder out, we wear dry suits. The boats are stored, de-rigged (sails off), and out of the water on a floating dock. Keeping them in the water would cause a lot of wear and tear on the rigging from wave action and cause growth on the undersides. If the boats were on moorings, they would also be prone to capsizing from ferry wakes, and the masts (20 ft tall) could get stuck in the mud causing damage to the boat. A big part of getting ready for use is rigging the sails and rudders and putting the boats in the water. That can take up to 30 min at each end of practice. We sail in a few different spots around the island, like the NorthEast corner around the tunnel vent and off the southern point. Our most common area now is along the western edge of the buttermilk channel, between pier 101.
