Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1972
A high-performance two-man trapeze dinghy designed as an accessible, low-cost trainer for symmetrical spinnaker work
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 1.65 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 0.15 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 3 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.
Comfort ratio 3
CoastalBluewater
At 3.47 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 3.47
LightHeavy
43 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.
Displacement / length 43
EasygoingPowered-up
53.0 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.
Sail area / displacement 53.0
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
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
53.0
Displacement / length
42.9
Comfort ratio
2.9
Capsize screening
3.47
Hull speed
5.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
263
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1972
Builder
La Prairie (FRANCE)
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.
LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull family0.5 m longerAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA high-performance Olympic skiff featuring the 49er hull paired with a specialised rig tailored for lighter crews
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
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
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
