BoatsBeetle Cat

Beetle Cat

Gaff head Cat · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1921

A strict one-design wooden class in continuous production since 1921, built for traditional daysailing

Designed by John Beetle & Carl N. Beetle.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 1.85 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 204 kg of hull, so roughly 800 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 204 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.15 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 5 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 5
CoastalBluewater

At 3.18 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.18
LightHeavy

126 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 126
EasygoingPowered-up

38.2 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 38.2

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Heavier than ~96% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~90% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 309 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaff head Cat
Ratios
SA / displacement
38.2
Displacement / length
126.4
Comfort ratio
5.3
Capsize screening
3.18
Hull speed
4.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
254
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1921
Units built
3600
Designer
John Beetle, Carl N. Beetle
Builder
Beetle, Inc

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hunter Marine 154.42 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA lightweight fractional centerboard dinghy designed for easy handling and high performance
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
Topper International Topper3.40 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterAn Ian Proctor-designed polypropylene dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and three versatile sail-area configurations
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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