BoatsFinn (Monotype)

Finn (Monotype)

Cat (unstayed) · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1949

A Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition

Designed by Richard Sarby, built by Brresen Badebyggeri.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

See her sail

The Finn (Monotype), on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.51 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 145 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 145 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 0.12 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 moderate beam gives 4 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 4
CoastalBluewater

At 2.90 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.90
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 61
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 37.0

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

What the fleet has seen

The Finn (Monotype), as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Finn (MONOTYPE) is a 4.5-meter centerboard dinghy designed by Richard Sarby, built by Brresen Badebyggeri, and introduced in 1949.51:49 It features an unstayed cat rig, a 1.5-meter beam, and a draft of 0.8 meters, displacing 145 kg. The Finn has been an Olympic class sailboat since 1952.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cat (unstayed)
Ratios
SA / displacement
37.0
Displacement / length
60.9
Comfort ratio
4.3
Capsize screening
2.90
Hull speed
4.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
235
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1949
Units built
4300
Designer
Richard Sarby
Builder
Brresen Badebyggeri

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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 family0.4 m longerA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crews
Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland showed strength in the first World Cup of the year.2:03from SEILmagasinet
LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull family0.4 m longerAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
Christoffer Sundby - from top sailor to top business leader.from SEILmagasinet
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03from Ravenswing
Mutineer 154.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA prolific 15-foot centerboard dinghy with a 43.54 SA/D ratio that has remained in production since 1972
Sailing Dighies NOT to Buy - How to Learn Sailing Ep 318 - Lady K Sailing7:04from Lady K Sailing
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull family0.3 m longerAn Ian Proctor-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fiberglass
The Easiest Sailboat You’ll Ever Own – The Wayfarer0:47from Practical Sailor
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
Mikkel Thommessen on a long life as a sailor0:53from SEILmagasinet

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