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The Mirror is a highly successful pram dinghy, with more than 1,000,000 built. The Mirror was named after the Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper with a largely working class readership. The Mirror was from the start promoted as an affordable boat, and it has probably done more than any other design to make dinghy sailing in the UK a sport available to anyone. Although most popular in the UK, Mirrors are also used in other countries, notably Australia. Designed by Jack Holt and TV do-it-yourself expert Barry Bucknell in 1962, the Mirror employed a novel construction method where sheets of marine plywood are held together with copper stitching and fibreglass tape. This is called tack and tape or stitch and tape construction. Buoyancy is provided by integral chambers rather than by bags. It was originally designed to be built with simple tools and little experience, and this meant that the design was quite unsophisticated - for example, a simple daggerboard is used instead of a hinged centreboard. The result, however, was a robust and versatile boat that can be easily maintained, and repaired, and can also be got into the water very quickly from storage or transport. Although most experienced sailors would carry a paddle rather than oars, if necessary it can be rowed reasonably easily. If the transom is strengthened, an outboard motor can be carried. Its Gunter rig, with a gaff that effectively doubles the height of the mast, means that the spars can be packed inside the hull for easy storage or transportation. All these features make the Mirror a first class choice for children or teenagers learning sailing for the first time. Because of the very large number that have been made, it is fairly easy to find other Mirror sailors to cruise or race with. The Mirror is light and stable enough to be sailed safely by two young teenagers; it is a little cramped for two adults. It can be sailed without a jib by moving the mast into an optional forward step and moving the shroud attachment points forward. However, in this configuration it can be difficult to tack. Most single handers retain the mast in the standard position and because of the Mirror’s small size handle the jib as well. Mirror class rules permit the use of a spinnaker. This may also be used by single handers as well. Mainsail controls permitted by the class are downhaul (Cunningham), outhaul and kicking strap (Vang). The Jib tack fixing may also be adjustable while sailing allowing changes in jib luff tension and tack height. Despite not being a particularly fast dingy, the Mirror is popular for one-design racing. The Mirror World Championship is contested biannually by the nations of the Republic of Ireland, the UK, the Republic of South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, Netherlands and Australia. The republic of Ireland has been the most successful country of late, winning the championship in 1999 (Marty Moloney and Revelin Minihane), 2001 (Peter Bayly and William Atkinson), 2003 (Chris Clayton and Craig Martin) and 2005 (Ross Kearney and Adam Mc Cullough.) New Class rules have come into effect this year(2006)which allow a new single or two peace mast (making the gunther rig optional) and an alloy boom, amongst other changes. see UK Mirror Class Association link for more details. The Mirror will never be the fastest boat on the water, or the most elegant, but it holds a special place in the affections of a large number of dinghy sailors.
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