Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1966
A lightweight fractional dinghy with a cuddy for two, featuring a trapeze-capable rig for active sailing
Designed by Dieter Gade.
LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
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 1.72 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 170 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 170 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 0.25 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 moderate beam gives 4 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.
Comfort ratio 4
CoastalBluewater
At 3.13 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.13
LightHeavy
48 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.
Displacement / length 48
EasygoingPowered-up
39.7 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 39.7
TenderStiff
18% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.
Ballast 18%
Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.
Draws more than ~83% of boats her size on file
Compared with 323 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
Ballast / displacement
17.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
39.7
Displacement / length
48.0
Comfort ratio
3.7
Capsize screening
3.13
Hull speed
5.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
306
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Mixed Iron/Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1966
Units built
1600
Designer
Dieter Gade
Builder
Gade Marine Plastics
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.
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn Ian Proctor-designed centreboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fibreglass
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
RS Venture4.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 4.98-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for agile, modern dinghy sailing
Beneteau First 144.30 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Samuel Manuard-designed performance dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited, responsive sailing
