The Skipper Dinghy is a centerboard class of sailing dinghies designed by Peter Milne (boat designer) 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.[1][2]
Peter Milne (boat designer) (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 and Javelin 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 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.
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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'.[8]
Margaret Dye, wife of famous sailor Frank Dye, mentions the Skipper 14 as a viable alternative to the Wayfarer 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.'.
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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.[11][12]
Skipper 17 exploded-view
Skipper 14
The Skipper 14 was first built in 1967. It is 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m) long and 5 ft (1.5 m) wide, with an overall depth of 0.63 m (2 ft 1 in). It has a mainsail area of 70.05 sq ft (6.508 m2) and a jib area of 13.45 sq ft (1.250 m2). The hull is constructed of glassfiber molding and weighs 160 lb (73 kg). 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.
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The Skipper 12 is 12 ft (3.7 m) long and 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) wide. It has a mainsail area of 65 sq ft (6.0 m2) and it has no jib. The hull is also constructed of glassfiber molding.[15][16]
In popular culture
In popular culture, the main character in Julia Jones' novel "Black Waters" is depicted as sailing a Skipper Dinghy.[17]
References
^Budd, Robert H. (1974). Sailing boats of the world: a guide to classes. Bayard Books. p. 360. ISBN9780220666507.
