BoatsRhodes Bantam

Rhodes Bantam

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1945

A 1945 centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio designed for responsive, light-air performance

Designed by Philip L. Rhodes, built by Skaneateles Boats Inc.

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 1.68 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 147 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 147 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 0.15 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 3.20 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.20
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 65
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 42.4

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

  • Draws more than ~91% of boats her size on file

Compared with 372 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
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
42.4
Displacement / length
64.8
Comfort ratio
3.9
Capsize screening
3.20
Hull speed
4.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
257
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Plywood
Production
Years built
First built 1945
Units built
2000
Designer
Philip L. Rhodes
Builder
Skaneateles Boats Inc, Rebel Boatworks, Gibbs Boat Co

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.

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
SEILmagasinet TV Episode 3 - 202551:39from SEILmagasinet
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
Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland showed strength in the first World Cup of the year.2:03from SEILmagasinet
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
Anders Kristensen - building on last year's successes15:51from SEILmagasinet
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
Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03from Ravenswing
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
John Lee Cotton: 91 years old and 75 years at sea0:54from SEILmagasinet
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull family0.6 m longerAn Ian Proctor-designed centreboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fibreglass
The Easiest Sailboat You’ll Ever Own – The Wayfarer0:47from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

Rhodes 18A centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed in 1948 for responsive, light-air performanceRhodes 19A high-performance fractional sloop evolved from the 1945 Hurricane class and refined into a classic one-design racerRhodes 19 CBA high-performance fractional sloop derived from the 1940s Hurricane, designed for light-displacement, responsive sailing

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Rhodes Bantam

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