BoatsO'day 12

O'day 12

Cat (unstayed) · Dbrd. Dinghy · 1975–1980

A lightweight cat-rigged dinghy featuring a simple unstayed mast and daggerboard, sharing her hull with the Widgeon

Designed by Robert H. Baker.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Dbrd. Dinghy

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.52 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 110 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 110 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 0.13 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 3.21 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.21
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 71
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 30.8

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

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cat (unstayed)
Ratios
SA / displacement
30.8
Displacement / length
71.3
Comfort ratio
3.7
Capsize screening
3.21
Hull speed
4.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
205
Hull
Hull type
Dbrd. Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1975–1980
Units built
490
Designer
Robert H. Baker
Builder
O'Day Corp

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.

Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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