More of an advanced boat, the 29er is a fast skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998, and is the little sister to the 49er. It is targeted at youth, especially those training to sail the larger 49er. It has a single trapeze and an asymmetric spinnaker much like that of the 49er (although smaller). The popular boat is considered a more rapid alternative to the laser vdinghy and has an international racing class devoted to it.
loa 14’5”
beam 5’7”
sail area 142 ft²
spinnaker area 181 ft²
hull weight 198
crew 2
# of boats built not known
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI.
Class website:
http://www.29er.org/
Check our our One Design Profile and write-up on the 29er!
Browse our extensive list of one design classes below! Want to buy/sell a boat? Visit our popular Marketplace and find, or sell, your boat!! We also have a great and growing list of One-Design Class Profiles, so feel free to check them out too!! If you would like to add your favorite one design class, please do not hesitate contact us. Enjoy!
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49er
The 49er is a very fast double-handed twin trapeze skiff. Designed by Julian Bethwaite, this is an exhilarating ride, and requires a fair amount of technical skill to sail. The boat is experiencing an increase in popularity due to its selection as an Olympic class starting with the Sydney Olympics of 2000. It features a very large asymmetric spinnaker.
loa 16’
beam 5’9”
sail area 215 ft²
spinnaker 400(!) ft²
hull weight 210
crew 2
# of boats built not known
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI…
Class website:
http://www.49er.org/49er2/index.php
Check out Sail1Design’s 49er class profile article here to learn more!
https://www.sail1design.com/airwaves-sailing-news/one-design-classes/1179-49er
Sunfish
With over 500,000 boats built the Sunfish is a very popular one-design class sailboat designed in the 1950s. As a singlehanded boat, the Sunfish is easy to car-top or trailer. The Sunfish is used as a day sailer or a racing boat, with over 1000 racing events every year worldwide. Key to the Sunfish’s success are simplicity and low cost. A Sunfish can be sailed using only two lines, the halyard and the Sheet. The only other necessary control is the tiller. A Sunfish setup for racing will typically add outhaul, cunningham, a gooseneck quick-release adjuster, and vang lines.
The lateen sail is fixed to the spars and is stored by simply wrapping the sail around the spars, or by rolling the sail up parallel to the spars.
Check out Sail1Design’s Class Profile of the Sunfish!
loa 13’9”
beam 4’1”
sail area 75 ft²
spinnaker n/a
hull weight 130 lbs.
crew 1
# of boats built 500,000+!
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI…
Class website:
http://www.sunfishclass.org/
Flying Scot
The Flying Scot is a day sailer dinghy used for pleasure sailing as well as racing throughout North America. The Flying Scot was designed in 1957 by Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass who had already designed the Thistle and Highlander dinghies.
The Flying Scot Association says, “The Scot’s performance offers thrills to even the experienced sailor and provides for tight, competitive racing. There are more than 100 fleets racing Flying Scots in the USA and Canada. The Scot is normally raced with a crew of two or three, but can be single handed as well. The sail plan consists of main, jib and spinnaker. Simple rigging and uniform construction fosters tactical racing.”
loa 19’
beam 6’9”
sail area 191 ft²
spinnaker area 200 ft²
hull weight 850 lbs.
crew 2-3
# of boats built 5,000 +
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY.
Class website:
http://www.fssa.com/
Day Sailer
The Day Sailer is a day sailer for pleasure sailing as well as racing; it is sailed throughout North America and Brazil. The Day Sailer was designed in 1958 by Uffa Fox and George O’Day. O’Day envisioned a centerboarder that would have a beam of about 6 feet, flotation fore and aft, a small cuddy cabin, and an aluminum mast and boom. By 1958, the two agreed on the lines and the general layout for the boat that O’Day would call the Day Sailer. The sail area, especially with the spinnaker, is relatively modest, which makes for a fairly “user-friendly” boat.
Over 10000 boats have been built, and races are held throughout the year in the USA and Brazil by the Day Sailer Association and its fleets.
loa 16’9”
beam 6’
sail area 145 ft²
spinnaker area 95 ft²
hull weight 575 lbs.
crew 2
# of boats built 8,000 +
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY
Class website:
http://www.daysailer.org/
Star
The venerable, elegant Star. This boat for years has attracted the world’s best one-design sailors. The Star is one of the most prolific keelboats in the world for a reason: it is an incredible boat to sail. Designed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, it has proven to be a classic in every sense. It is the oldest Olympic class, having first been used in competition in 1932, and still at the heart of that competition today. Supported by a worldwide association the Star as a class is one of the best organized in sailing, with over 7,500 yachts built over its 80 year history, and 2000-plus actively racing today.
The Star has evolved into the consummate craft for all ranges of competition and performance sailing: its equipment and rig is simple enough for the novice, yet versatile enough for those on the forefront of sailing. It’s large, powerful sailplan, combined with a sleek hull and light weight, propel the boat in the faintest of airs, while the flexible spar can be tuned to “de-power” when the breeze kicks up. The large main is infinitely adjustable, allowing the sailor to completely control the driving surface of the sail.
Starts today are generally constructed of fiberglass, with positive flotation and an integrated keel. The design, sails, and equipment of the Star are governed by stringent class rules, created to improve competition on the basis of skill and control cost . This has also served to help the longevity of the design, keeping older boats competitive through careful evolution.
Please visit Sail1Design’s Class profile on the Star: https://www.sail1design.com/airwaves-sailing-news/one-design-classes/1095-one-design-profile-star-class
loa 22’7”
beam 5’7”
sail area 285 ft²
spinnaker area n/a
hull weight 1479 lbs.
crew 2
# of boats built
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY
Class website:
http://starclass.org/
