BoatsYachting World Dayboat

Yachting World Dayboat

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1949

A 1949 fractional sloop commissioned by Yachting World, still actively raced in one-design fleets across the UK

Designed by G OBrien Kennedy & George O'Brien Kennedy, built by Chris Somner Dinghy Services.

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 1.73 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 204 kg of hull, so roughly 800 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 204 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 0.25 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 5 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 5
CoastalBluewater

At 2.96 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.96
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 79
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 36.0

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

  • Heavier than ~87% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~87% 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
36.0
Displacement / length
78.6
Comfort ratio
5.0
Capsize screening
2.96
Hull speed
5.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
277
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1949
Units built
700
Designer
G OBrien Kennedy, George O'Brien Kennedy
Builder
Chris Somner Dinghy Services

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.

Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe4.72 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes
Rio to Polynesia on a 25-Foot Boat, the Journey that Changed Sailing in Brazil Forever | #SAL #368:16from Hashtag Sal
Mutineer 154.57 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 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 Sailing7:04from Lady K Sailing
Beneteau First 144.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Samuel Manuard-designed performance dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited, responsive sailing
Med Mooring with Mooring Lines in Alimos Marinafrom Epic Navigator
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
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
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.2 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.

O'Day DaysailerA 1956 centreboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that remains in production todayO'day 15-2A lightweight fractional daysailer designed by Hunt Associates for responsive, high-performance dinghy handlingO'day 19A C. Raymond Hunt-designed fractional sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration for versatile shoal-water 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 Yachting World Dayboat

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