BoatsHolder 12

Holder 12

Cat (unstayed) · Dbrd. Dinghy · First built 1984

A lightweight, unstayed cat-rigged dinghy designed by Ron Holder for simple, responsive performance

Designed by Ron Holder, built by Hobie Cat.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Dbrd. Dinghy

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.52 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 52 kg of hull, so roughly 650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 52 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 0.10 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 2 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 2
CoastalBluewater

At 4.11 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 4.11
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 36
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 46.0

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

  • Lighter than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 300 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
Cat (unstayed)
Ratios
SA / displacement
46.0
Displacement / length
36.1
Comfort ratio
1.8
Capsize screening
4.11
Hull speed
4.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
201
Hull
Hull type
Dbrd. Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1984
Designer
Ron Holder
Builder
Hobie Cat

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.

Topper International Topper3.40 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterAn Ian Proctor-designed polypropylene dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and three versatile sail-area configurations
Isle of Dogs Sea Cadets race at London Regatta May 25 in blustery conditions,from City Sailing
Ilca 7 (Laser-International)4.23 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Bruce Kirby-designed Olympic class dinghy featuring a simple unstayed cat rig and a lightweight, high-performance hull
Theodor Middelthon: An "ILCA Viking" on a steady course for the world summit18:40from SEILmagasinet
Butler Boats Streaker3.88 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 3.88-metre cat-rigged dinghy featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a fiberglass option introduced in 1998
Behind the scenes at the Wayfarer factory – a tour of Hartley Boatsfrom practicalboatowner
Alcort Sunfish4.24 mSame hull family0.6 m longerWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-meter dinghy remains a benchmark for simple
From Living in Nigeria to Living on a Yacht, My Storyfrom The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Our Boat Got Stolen 😡… So We Built a New One (in just ONE Week)from WhiteSpotPirates
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
John Lee Cotton: 91 years old and 75 years at sea0:54from SEILmagasinet

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.

Holder HawkA minimalist 2.74-metre dinghy weighing just 34 kilograms, built for simple, unstayed cat-rigged sailingHolder 14 MKIIA taller-rigged evolution of the standard Holder 14, offering increased sail area for spirited dinghy performanceHolder 14A versatile 4.17-meter centerboard dinghy sold under four different brand names during its brief mid-80s production runHobie Monocat 12A Hobie Alter-designed single-handed catamaran with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively performanceHobie ONE-14A lightweight 4.17-meter centerboard dinghy with a high 40.52 sail area-to-displacement ratio for responsive sailing

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Holder 12

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