A 5-meter centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built by Leonhard Mader for agile racing
Designed by Ernst Lehfeld.
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 1.70 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 100 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 100 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.
CoastalBluewater
At 3.70 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.70
EasygoingPowered-up
69.4 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 69.4
Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.
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
69.4
Capsize screening
3.70
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
1958–1977
Units built
2780
Designer
Ernst Lehfeld
Builder
Leonhard Mader, Jurgen Hein, Mader Bootswerft
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.
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
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 family0.7 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
