Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1949
A Jack Holt-designed general purpose dinghy originally created for home plywood construction and now a popular one-design racer
Designed by Jack Holt.
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 1.54 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 133 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 133 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 0.91 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater
At 3.04 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.04
EasygoingPowered-up
37.4 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 37.4
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
37.4
Capsize screening
3.04
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Plywood/GRP/FRP/Composite
Production
Years built
First built 1949
Units built
14000
Designer
Jack Holt
Builder
Bell Woodwordking Ltd
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.
Lido 144.27 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA high-performance Olympic skiff featuring the 49er hull paired with a specialised rig tailored for lighter crews
LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
