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A
yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing
vessel used to convey important persons. In later parlance, the definition
came to mean any vessel, other than a dinghy, propelled by sail, power or
both and used for pleasure cruising and/or yacht racing.
A sailing yacht can vary in overall length
(LOA in yachting parlance) from about 6 m (20 feet) to well over 30 m (98
feet) or more. However, most privately owned yachts fall on the range of
about 7 m to 14 m (about 23-46 ft); the cost of building and keeping a
yacht rises quickly at greater lengths.
Monohull yachts are typically fitted with a
fixed or adjustable keel below the waterline to counterbalance the
overturning force of wind on the vessel's sails. By contrast, Multihull
yachts (a catamaran is an example of this type of vessel) use two or more
hulls widely separated from each other to provide a stable base that
resists overturning.
Source : wikipedia
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