The Skipper Dinghy is a

centerboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

class of sailing dinghies designed by

Peter Milne (boat designer) Peter Antony Milne (20 September 1934 – 23 May 2008) was a British boat designer. He designed more than forty craft, including the Fireball, Skipper and Javelin dinghies. Milne was born in Stockport, Cheshire and was educated at St John's C ...

for recreational use and racing. There are three models of the Skipper Dinghy: the Skipper 12, the Skipper 14 and the Skipper 17. The Skipper sailboats was sold in large numbers, and has retained a devoted owner base.

(20 September 1934 – 23 May 2008) was one of Britain's best known designers and sailing journalists. He designed more than forty craft, including the Skipper,

Fireball Fireball may refer to: Science * Fireball (meteor), a brighter-than-usual meteor * Ball lightning, an atmospheric electrical phenomenon * ''Bassia scoparia'', a plant species Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Fireball'', a 1950 film starring ...

and

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

dinghies. Richmond Marine Ltd, a now-defunct company, was responsible for the production of the Skipper Dinghy in the 1970s. Richmond Marine was the project of David Thorpe sometime Yachting Correspondent of the

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

and winner of the Prince of Wales Cup in 1950's. Bourne Plastics of Netherfield & Langarmaking build the hulls for Richmond Marine’s dinghies of which 800 were made and sold in the first year. The Skipper Dinghy is no longer in production as Richmond Marine Ltd has since ceased operations. Notably, Ellen MacArthur, a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman. She broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe, a feat which gained her international renown. Her first cruiser was 'Kestrel' a Skipper, that she writes about in her book 'Taking on the World'. Margaret Dye, wife of famous sailor Frank Dye, mentions the Skipper 14 as a viable alternative to the

Wayfarer A wayfarer is a person who travels on foot. It may also refer to: Literature * ''The Wayfarer'' (novel), a 1912 novel by Natsume Sōseki * ''Wayfarer'', a book in the ''Faery Rebels'' series by Canadian author R. J. Anderson * ''Wayfarers,'' a s ...

in her book Dinghy Cruising. Renowned, Sir Alec Rose, another British sailor who became famous for his solo circumnavigation of the globe, wrote a small practical guide to sailing the Skipper Dinghy 'Skippering Skipper with Sir Alec Rose.'.

Skipper 17

The Skipper 17 is a classic sailboat designed by Peter Milne and first built in 1966 by Anderson, Rigden & Perkins/Richmond Marine in the UK. This centerboard (trunk) sailboat has a fractional sloop rigging and measures 17.00 ft in length overall (LOA) and 6.42 ft in beam, with a displacement of 700.00 lb. The sail area is reported at 150.00 ft², making for a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 30.49. The boat is constructed of fiberglass and has a maximum draft of 3.75 ft and a minimum draft of 0.75 ft. Various versions of the Skipper 17 were produced, including a dayboat version, a larger cuddy cabin version called the Skipper Mariner, and a rare variant called the Skipper's Mate. Skipper-17v2

Skipper 14

The Skipper 14 was first built in 1967. It is long and wide, with an overall depth of . It has a mainsail area of and a jib area of . The hull is constructed of glassfiber molding and weighs . The fittings are made of injection-molded ICl Maranyl and Kematal, as well as stainless steel or anodized aluminum. The hull color is white, while the deck can be green, orange, or blue. The sails are made of Terylene, and the sail color can be green, orange, or red on a white base. The dodger/tonneau and cushion are white and made of waterproof plastic. Skipper14

Skipper 12

The Skipper 12 is long and wide. It has a mainsail area of and it has no jib. The hull is also constructed of glassfiber molding.

In popular culture

In popular culture, the main character in Julia Jones' novel "Black Waters" is depicted as sailing a Skipper Dinghy.Jones, J. & Myatt, C. (2015). ''Black waters''. Golden Duck
Retrieved April 1, 2023

References

{{reflist Dinghies