Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1976
A high-performance two-person trapeze dinghy with an aggressive 54.04 SA/displacement ratio, widely used for sail training
Designed by Andre Cornu, built by CL Sailboats.
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 1.60 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 82 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 82 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.
CoastalBluewater
At 3.71 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.71
EasygoingPowered-up
54.0 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 54.0
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
54.0
Capsize screening
3.71
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Designer
Andre Cornu
Builder
CL Sailboats, C&L Boatworks
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 family0.4 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Alcort Sunfish4.24 mSame hull family0.2 m longerWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-metre dinghy remains a benchmark for simple
Ilca 4 (Laser 4.7)4.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Bruce Kirby-designed dinghy sharing the classic Laser hull, optimized with a smaller sail plan for lighter sailors
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
