BoatsMcVay Fiberglass Yachts Falcon 16

McVay Fiberglass Yachts Falcon 16

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1954

A prolific centerboard dinghy with nearly 1000 built, designed for class racing with a spinnaker

Designed by G. William McVay Sr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
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 1.58 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 748 kg of hull, so roughly 1,350 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 748 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 0.79 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

1.76 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.76
LightHeavy

255 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 255
EasygoingPowered-up

10.3 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 10.3
TenderStiff

52% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 52%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~100% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 360 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
Ballast / displacement
51.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
10.3
Displacement / length
254.6
Comfort ratio
19.3
Capsize screening
1.76
Hull speed
5.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
265
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1954
Units built
940
Designer
G. William McVay Sr
Builder
McVay Fiberglass Yachts, Paceship, Beetle Boat Co

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.

MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crews
LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
O'Day Daysailer5.11 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1956 centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that remains in production today

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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