Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe

BoatsAubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe

See her sail

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe, on the water

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

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. Originally from the US, it became one of the most popular sailing dinghies globally and, in its heyday, the largest sailboat racing class. The Snipe is still built, sailed, and raced worldwide.5:32 Sailors often begin with small dinghies like the Snipe to learn boat handling, as its immediate feedback on wind and water forces is more direct than on larger yachts. Competitive sailors, such as former Snipe world champion Anette Melsom Myhre, have transitioned from Snipe racing to other competitive sailing formats.2:00 Professional skippers like Tony have also started their careers in Snipe racing before moving to professional boat delivery.22:05

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 7 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe on video

TEST: Foiling for the massesThe BirdyFish foiling dinghy reaches 20 knots in 6–12 knot winds off Moss, Norway.SEILmagasinet

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.

Mutineer 154.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA prolific 15-foot centerboard dinghy with a 43.54 SA/D ratio that has remained in production since 1972

Sailing Dighies NOT to Buy - How to Learn Sailing Ep 318 - Lady K Sailing7:04 from Lady K Sailing

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

Anders Kristensen: The Olympics and the future of sailing10:56 from 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

Christoffer Sundby - from top sailor to top business leader.0:32 from SEILmagasinet

RS Venture4.98 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 4.98-metre fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for agile, modern dinghy sailing

Elliot Finnestrand - World Champion in sailing after motocross accident0:07 from SEILmagasinet

Beneteau First 144.30 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Samuel Manuard-designed performance dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited, responsive sailing

Med Mooring with Mooring Lines in Alimos Marina from Epic Navigator

CL Sailboats 164.88 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA fibreglass centreboard dinghy featuring the classic Wayfarer hull shape and sail plan, updated with a modified cockpit

What's the Best Sailboats for Beginners?3:02 from Practical Sailor

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 plan Chantier Aubin MuscadetA Philippe H. Harle-designed keel-centerboard sloop from 1963, built for versatile coastal cruising and shoal water Scorpion DinghyA hard-chined fractional sloop designed by Taprell Dorling for plywood construction and popular as a home-built kit

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