BoatsAubin (Chantier Aubin) Vaurien

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Vaurien

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1952

A nimble one-design centerboard dinghy by Jean-Jacques Herbulot, still actively raced with a modernized sail plan

Designed by Jean Jacques Herbulot & Jean-Jacques Herbulot.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

See her sail

The Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Vaurien, on the water

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

Footage from A Son de Mar

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.47 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 95 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 95 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 0.12 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

At 3.25 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.25
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 37.0

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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
37.0
Capsize screening
3.25
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
FG or Plywood
Production
Years built
First built 1952
Units built
36500
Designer
Jean Jacques Herbulot, Jean-Jacques Herbulot
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.

Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing
Marie Rønningen, Olympic gold contender7:24from SEILmagasinet
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
EASY YouTube HOW TO MAKE SAILING VIDEOS - Ep 339 - Lady K Sailing3:51from Lady K Sailing
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
Mikkel Thommessen on a long life as a sailor0:53from SEILmagasinet
MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull family0.8 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 family0.8 m longerAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
From Olympic drama to flying motorboats: Petter Mørland Pedersen in "Peiling på Seiling"11:34from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) SnipeA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Vaurien, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Vaurien

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue