BoatsLa Prairie (France) Flibustier

La Prairie (France) Flibustier

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1957

A 1957 ultra-lightweight fractional centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for agile performance

Designed by Jean-Jacques Herbulot.

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 1.78 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 130 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 130 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 0.20 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 3 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 3
CoastalBluewater

At 3.54 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.54
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 45
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 47.5

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

  • Draws more than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 356 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
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
47.5
Displacement / length
45.0
Comfort ratio
2.9
Capsize screening
3.54
Hull speed
5.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
296
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1957
Designer
Jean-Jacques Herbulot
Builder
La Prairie (FRANCE)

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
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
Melges 195.79 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA Reichel-Pugh designed fractional dinghy with an exceptionally high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for rapid planing
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing

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.

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