BoatsChippendale Boats Fireball

Chippendale Boats Fireball

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1962

A high-performance, two-person one-design dinghy featuring a trapeze and a scow-like hull for amateur plywood construction

Designed by Peter Milne.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

See her sail

The Chippendale Boats Fireball, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.35 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 77 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 77 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.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 3 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 3
CoastalBluewater

At 3.19 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.19
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 33
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 64.2

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

  • Lighter than ~78% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~78% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~94% of boats her size on file

Compared with 327 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

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
64.2
Displacement / length
32.6
Comfort ratio
2.6
Capsize screening
3.19
Hull speed
4.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
209
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood or FG, single chine
Production
Years built
First built 1962
Units built
15000
Designer
Peter Milne
Builder
Chippendale Boats

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.

Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA 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 family0.9 m shorterA 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
Ilca 4 (Laser 4.7)4.23 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Bruce Kirby-designed dinghy sharing the classic Laser hull, optimized with a smaller sail plan for lighter sailors
Theodor Middelthon: An "ILCA Viking" on a steady course for the world summit11:48from 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
From Olympic drama to flying motorboats: Petter Mørland Pedersen in "Peiling på Seiling"11:34from SEILmagasinet
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
Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland showed strength in the first World Cup of the year.2:03from SEILmagasinet
Alcort Sunfish4.24 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-metre dinghy remains a benchmark for simple
Lewis Boat Works TETRIS 30 Apr 230:02from kentblairl

The family

Boats like this

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

Fairey Marine FireflyThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey MarineSpeedball 14A W. Shad Turner-designed fractional sloop, this lightweight 14-foot centerboard dinghy is built for high-performance sailingBullet (Milne)Awarded the 1975 Prince Philip Designers Prize, this lightweight centreboard dinghy was built for smaller sailorsChippendale Boats OspreyAn Ian Proctor-designed fractional sloop that outperformed the Flying Dutchman in the 1952 Olympic selection trialsChippendale Boats KestrelAn Ian Proctor-designed fractional sloop built for fibreglass, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

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