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Laser

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The international laser, an Olympic Class sailboat, is quite likely the worlds most popular single-handed one-design dinghy, rivaled in numbers only by the sunfish.

With regattas and fleets all throughout the country, this boat is the ideal fun day-sailer that you never outgrow. From learning the basics to doing an Olympic campaign, the boat has it all.

With an un-stayed cat rig and light, 130 lb hull, the laser is very easy to rig and transport. The laser also has rig options for smaller sailors. They are the Laser Radial and the Laser 4.7

loa 13’10”
beam 4’7”
sail area 75 ft² ,  Radial: 62 ft²,   4.7: 50.5 ft²
spinnaker area n/a
hull weight 130 lbs.
crew 1
# of boats built 190,000
active US fleets New England, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

For more information please visit this class associations website:
http://www.laserinternational.org/

Club 420

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The club 420 is the essential 2 person training dinghy used my the majority of youth sailing programs across the country. The boat is stable, fast, and this class association is very strong. The Club 420 features a single trapeze and spinnaker rig, while the club/collegiate 420 eliminates both for simplicity.

Fleets and regattas are widespread, especially on the east coast, and the 420 is also the choice of many high school & college sailing programs, including top teams like Boston College, Brown University, Yale, and more.

loa 13’9”
beam 5’5”
sail area 110 ft²
spinnaker area 95 ft²
hull weight 220-230 lbs
crew 2
# of boats built not known
active US fleets New England, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

For more information please visit this class associations website:
http://club420.org/

470

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From www.470.org:
It is a popular class of dinghy, offering a good introduction to high-performance boats without being excessively difficult to handle. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio and is designed to plane easily. Most sailors get substantial experience in a more stable and less demanding dinghy before beginning the 470.

The International 470 Class was awarded International Status by the International Yacht Racing Union (now World Sailing) in 1969 and it has been an Olympic class since first featuring at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Used as Olympic equipment since 1976, where the class was sailed as an open event before the introduction of separate events for men and women in 1988, the 470 is the boat currently used for both the men’s two person and women’s two person dinghy events at the Olympic Games and is sailed in more than 60 nations around the world. In 1988 the first ever Olympic women’s sailing event was sailed in the 470, as the first step in increasing the number of women competing at the Olympic Games.

A strict one design class, the 470 has proved its pedigree as an Olympic class, being a high performance sailing dinghy suitable for body weights from all continents and performing across a wide range of weather conditions. Across the 11 Olympic Games in which the 470 Class has been raced, 20 different nations have secured Olympic medals in the men’s and women’s events, demonstrating the depth of participation and talent.

The International 470 Class is responsible for the organization and administration of the 470 Class around the world. With 23% of the athletes at the 2020 Olympic Games competing in the 470 Class, the Class is committed to ensuring their interests and the broader interests of 470 sailing are represented and to encouraging, promoting and developing the 470 Class throughout the world.

The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to sail it well. The 470 is not difficult to sail, but to be competitive everything should be mastered and tuned to perfection. Tactically the boat is demanding because speed differences are small and fleets are usually big. The 470 is often quoted as the most challenging, dynamic and thrilling to sail of the boats at the Olympics. The boat can be sailed competitively in a wide range of wind and sea conditions, covering the full range of Olympic sailing conditions.

loa 14’7”
beam 5’6”
sail area 137 ft²
spinnaker area 140 ft²
hull weight 264
crew 2
# of boats built not known
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

For more information please visit this class associations website:
http://www.470.org/

US 470 Class Website:  https://470usa.org/

Vanguard 15

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Labeled by some as the ideal post-collegiate sailors boat, this simple design is comfortable, easy to sail for beginners and a small family outing, yet also boasts one of the more competitive one-design classes in the US. The Vanguard offers plenty for the thrill seeker; the boat will plane upwind, and is a blast to sail off the breeze in bigger winds as it is relatively stable.

Another bonus of this boat is it’s simplicity. There is so spinnaker; only a jib and mainsail, and minimal controls make this boat easy and inexpensive to maintain. For these reasons the Vanguard 15 is very often the top choice for high-level team racing events. It is a great team racing boat!!

One design feature that is both a blessing and a curse; the foil is a daggerboard, which on the one hand makes the cockpit very open and spacious. On the downside, a daggerboard is a liability should you run aground, as damage to the board, and more critically, the hull, is likely.

loa 15’3”
beam 5’6”
sail area 127 ft²
spinnaker area n/a
hull weight 190
crew 2
# of boats built 5,000
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

For more information please visit this class associations website:
http://v15.org/

 

CHECK OUT THE SAIL1DESIGN PROFILE ON THE V15:

https://www.sail1design.com/airwaves-sailing-news/one-design-classes/1111-v15

 

505

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2013 plane insane-78Originally launched in 1953, the 5o5 has withstood the test of time and is considered by many to be the best performing high performance planing dinghy ever built. This international class routinely attracts the world’s best sailors, and world championship events, held annually, almost always attract over 100 boats. A physically demanding single trapeze boat, the 5o5 rewards sailors who are smart, in shape, and love to tune. The boat offers those “who like to tinker” almost unlimited opportunities. The class rules, while strict, are fewer in number than most one design  classes, allowing different foil and hull designs, mast sections,  etc. Most all of the top sailors still go the same speed though, and that speed is fast.
The 5o5 class is wonderful, but not for those on a tight budget. New boats are expensive and maintenance is not on the low end.
loa 16.5’
beam 6’2”
sail area 151 ft²
spinnaker area 280 ft²
hull weight 281 lbs.
crew 2
# of boats built 9,000
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY
From the 505 class page:

Hulls are built using the best materials and craftsmanship available including fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber laminates and fully cored construction. This results in boats that last decades, not years. The best quality boats built with honeycomb core and epoxy resins have a competitive life of over 30 years! For this reason, there are many older used boats that can still compete at the highest level.
 
In addition to great local and regional racing, the American Section hosts three major championships each year: East Coast Championships, Pacific Coast Championships, and North American Championships (in conjunction with the Canadian 505 Class). The marquee event for the 505 Class is the annual open World Championships which consistently draws 100-180+ boats!
Please explore the website and learn more about what the 505 Class has to offer. The best way to go for a test sail or to find out more information is to contact your local Fleet Captain. If you can sail a laser, you can have a whole lot more fun sailing a 505!

For more information please visit this class associations website:
http://www.usa505.org/

Snipe

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A competitive but friendly and often family-oriented class association, and a long history of great events, what’s not to love about the Snipe?

Designed by William Crosby in 1931, the Snipe is simple and small, making it easy to sail and trailer. The boat is recognized by the ISAF as an international boat. It is sailed in 26 different countries. There have been over 30,000 Snipes constructed worldwide.

Although the Snipe Class has some of the best competition in the world, the class has not lost sight of the importance of social events and, in fact, many regattas are as well known for their parties as they are for their racing. The global Snipe slogan is “Serious sailing, Serious fun”.

loa 15.5’ 
beam 5’
sail area 128 ft²
smipespinnaker area n/a
hull weight 381
crew 2
# of boats built 30,000 +
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

Class website:
http://www.snipe.org/

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