A Puddle Duck Racer or PD Racer is an 8 foot (2.44 m) long, 4 foot (1.22 m) wide, 16 inch (40 cm) high, spec series, racing

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

. It is a one design hull shape with wide options in other areas. Billed as "the easiest sailboat in the world to build", the

scow A scow is a smaller type of barge. Some scows are rigged as sailing scows. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scows carried cargo in coastal waters and inland waterways, having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small harbours. S ...

hull is a simple box, usually built of

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

. PD Racers have a Portsmouth handicap rating of 140.0 and their

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code is PDR.History of the PD Racer
''PDRacer.com''. Retrieved March 11, 2013.

History and scope

Designed by David "Shorty" Routh, the PD Racer design was first published and released in 2003, and the first hull was built in January 2004. With a focus on a simple design that uses low cost materials, PD Racers are intended to be accessible to a wide variety of people. All the materials needed to build the boat can be found at a

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,Wells, Randy. (July 1, 2012).
Puddle Duck Racers: Boats growing in popularity
. ''

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''. Retrieved March 10, 2013. and the dimensions allow for a tolerance of a quarter-inch, allowing for less experienced builders to assemble a boat that fits within the design rules.Caswell, Chris. (November 2011).
If it quacks like a Puddle Duck it must be a fun boat to sail
. ''Sailing: The Beauty of Sail''. Retrieved March 10, 2013. They can be cheap to build, with a simple plastic tarp for a sail, and reports place the cost to build the boat as ranging from $150 to $300 to construct. The design is suitable for use in school projects. PD Racer hulls are numbered after photographic proof is given that that hull has been completed rather than assigned by the plan number a builder is given. To register a hull and receive a hull number, the basic hull (four sides, and two airboxes attached to a plywood bottom) must be assembled (called "going 3D" by the builders). Since many people may order plans and never build the boat, photographic evidence gives a more accurate estimate of boat numbers. In late 2013, there were over 850 PD Racers registered in North America. Internationally, registered boats can be found in countries such as Australia, England, Germany and Argentina.

Puddle Duck Hatch

During the weekend of April 28–30, 2006, there was a "Puddle Duck Hatch" held in

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. Organized by PD Racer enthusiast Gordon Seiter, the event, gathered various groups from the area to build PD Racers on Friday and Saturday, and then race them on Sunday. The build was sponsored by various local merchants. 10 boats were built at the hatch, which brought the number of registered hulls to 99, and hulls 100 and 101 "went 3D" during the same time in other locations, bringing the hull count to 101. In May 2007 a second Hatch was held and five boats were built. 2008 saw the name of the event changed to the Summerland TimberMart Hatch and saw five more boats built. In Fall of 2010, Summerland hosted the 2010 Puddle Duck "World Championship" Race.

Design

The design was influenced by the $50 Sailboat Race, the Moth class, Gavin Atkins's Mouse Boat group, Jim Michalak boat designs, the

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"Brick" design, and a number of other box boats. It is effectively a "sailing box" with 16" sides. Puddle Duck Racers generally are built with two airboxes, either placed along the sides of the boat or at the bow and stern. If placed on the sides, they also provide for seating for the crew. The airboxes provide flotation if the boat capsizes, and can be used for storage.Popular Hull Configurations
''PDRacer.com''. Retrieved March 11, 2013. As a development class, the PD Racer specifications allow for builders to experiment with different configurations. The PD Racer specifications only apply to the hull, allowing for various types of sailing rigs, and either

leeboard A leeboard is a form of pivoting keel used by a sailboat largely and very often in lieu of a fixed keel. Typically mounted in pairs on each side of a hull, leeboards function much like a centreboard, allowing shallow-draft craft to ply waters f ...

s or

centreboard 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 ...

s. Although the boats are required to conform to a specific shape for use in class racing, the hull can also be used for recreational sailing, paddling, and motoring.

Configurations

The main hull configurations are: * "End Airbox" design, with the airboxes positioned at the bow and stern of the craft. * "Full Length Side Airboxes", with the airboxes running along each side. * "Foam or other forms of flotation positioned under side, bow, or stern decks. Alternatives include building a small cabin onto the boat, and a modular design that can be disassembled for transport.Ken Simpson's Puddle Duck Articles
''PDRacer.com''. Retrieved March 11, 2013.

History and scope

Puddle Duck Hatch

Design

Configurations

References

External links