BoatsAubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe

Fractional Sloop · Daggerboard · First built 1931

A legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes

Designed by William F. Crosby.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Daggerboard

See her sail

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe, on the water

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

Footage from Hashtag Sal

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 172 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 172 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 moderate beam gives 5 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 5
CoastalBluewater

At 2.76 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.76
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 83
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 39.1

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

What the fleet has seen

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe is a 4.7-meter fractional sloop dinghy with a daggerboard hull, designed by William F. Crosby and built by Aubin (Chantier Aubin) since 1931. It displaces 172 kg and has a 1.5-meter beam and 1.0-meter draft. The Snipe originated in the US and became one of the most popular sailing dinghies, raced and sailed globally. Tønsberg Seilforening in Norway hosts high-volume racing events, including the Snipe Women’s European Championship.4:55 The Aratu Iate Clube in Salvador, Brazil, uses the Snipe in its youth sailing programs alongside Optimist and Laser classes.9:04 A sailor in Tapes, Brazil, transitioned from powerboating to sailing after an amputation, starting his sailing experience on a Snipe.3:03

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 5 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe on video

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
39.1
Displacement / length
83.4
Comfort ratio
5.1
Capsize screening
2.76
Hull speed
4.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
226
Hull
Hull type
Daggerboard
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1931
Units built
31000
Designer
William F. Crosby
Builder
Aubin (Chantier Aubin)

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.

LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull family0.2 m longerAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
From Kayak King to National Team Manager: Eirik Verås Larsen on Peiling på Seiling11:16from SEILmagasinet
MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull family0.2 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
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn 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
Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 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
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family1.1 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
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.7 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

The family

Boats like this

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

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) VaurienA nimble one-design centerboard dinghy by Jean-Jacques Herbulot, still actively raced with a modernized sail planChantier Aubin MuscadetA Philippe H. Harle-designed keel-centerboard sloop from 1963, built for versatile coastal cruising and shoal waterScorpion DinghyA hard-chined fractional sloop designed by Taprell Dorling for plywood construction and popular as a home-built kit

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