CL Sailboats 16

BoatsCL Sailboats 16

See her sail

The CL Sailboats 16, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.85 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 175 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 175 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 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 4 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 4

CoastalBluewater

At 3.35 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.35

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 53

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 42.7

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

What the fleet has seen

The CL Sailboats 16, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The CL Sailboats 16 is a fiberglass centerboard dinghy, 4.9 meters LOA, designed by Ian Proctor, Graham Dodd, and George Blanchard. Built by CL Sailboats and C&L Boatworks since 1968, it was created to replace the wooden Wayfarer when UK supply was interrupted by a strike.1:41 The CL16 shares the Wayfarer's hull shape and sail plan but features an altered cockpit.2:44 The Wayfarer, from which the CL16 is derived, is a 15-foot 10-inch fractional Bermuda-rigged dinghy designed in 1957.1:46 It is built in both wood and fiberglass, has a retractable centerboard for beach launching and shallow-water operation, and its stable hull accommodates three adults.1:28 The Wayfarer is used for sailing schools, day cruising, and one-design racing, with over 11,000 units produced across models like the Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, and Mark IV.1:36

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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

42.7

Displacement / length

52.7

Comfort ratio

3.5

Capsize screening

3.35

Hull speed

5.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

322

Hull

Hull type

Centerboard Dinghy

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1968

Designer

Ian Proctor, Graham Dodd, George Blanchard

Builder

CL Sailboats, C&L Boatworks

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ian Proctor-designed centreboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fibreglass

The Easiest Sailboat You’ll Ever Own – The Wayfarer0:47 from Practical Sailor

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

Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03 from Ravenswing

MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance Olympic skiff featuring the 49er hull paired with a specialised rig tailored for lighter crews

Benedicte Lind Bjørland, first woman to lead KNS10:37 from SEILmagasinet

LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing

Anders Kristensen - building on last year's successes15:51 from SEILmagasinet

Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition

SEILmagasinet TV Episode 3 - 202551:39 from SEILmagasinet

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe4.72 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes

Rio to Polynesia on a 25-Foot Boat, the Journey that Changed Sailing in Brazil Forever | #SAL #368:16 from Hashtag Sal

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

CL Sailboats 14A 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling Small Craft Ltd. WayfarerAn Ian Proctor-designed centreboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fibreglass Clark Boat Co. C-LarkA lightweight fractional centerboard dinghy designed by Don Clark for high-performance, responsive sailing M-16 ScowA high-performance fractional sloop with a rotating spar, sharing the modern MC Scow hull design since 1999

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the CL Sailboats 16, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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