BoatsLehman 12

Lehman 12

Cat (Marconi) · Dbrd. Dinghy · First built 1953

One of the earliest fiberglass production sailboats in the US, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Designed by Barney Lehman, built by PlastiGlass.

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 1.37 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 79 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 79 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 0.08 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

At 3.22 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.22
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 41.5

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Draws less than ~90% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~81% 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 (Marconi)
Ratios
SA / displacement
41.5
Capsize screening
3.22
Hull
Hull type
Dbrd. Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1953
Designer
Barney Lehman
Builder
PlastiGlass, W. D.Schock

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.

Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
Marie Rønningen, Olympic gold contender7:24from SEILmagasinet
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
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
Lewis Boat Works TETRIS 30 Apr 230:02from kentblairl
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
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
HOW TO CHECK SAILING WEATHER - Ep 337 - Lady K Sailing1:35from Lady K Sailing
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
Mikkel Thommessen on a long life as a sailor0:53from 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.

Lehman InterclubA pioneering plastic dinghy from 1948, later produced by Schock and designed for lightweight, agile performanceW. D. Schock Corp. MetcalfA lightweight 3.96-meter Marconi-rigged dinghy designed by C. William Lapworth for competitive racing at Balboa Yacht ClubAqua Cat 12Once the world's largest one-design catamaran class, this lateen-rigged twin-board design remained in production until 2003Herreshoff 12 1/2A legendary gaff-rigged daysailer designed by Nathanael Herreshoff, still actively raced in both wood and fiberglass

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 Lehman 12

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