Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1938
A fractional sloop version of the Nipper centerboard dinghy, first built in 1938 for light-displacement performance
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 1.57 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 113 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 113 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 0.15 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater
At 3.28 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.28
EasygoingPowered-up
44.4 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 44.4
Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.
Heavier than ~75% 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
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
44.4
Capsize screening
3.28
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
FG or Plywood
Production
Years built
First built 1938
Units built
2300
Designer
Ray Greene
Builder
Ray Greene, Co
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.
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
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
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
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
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
Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition
