Dinghy racing is a competitive sport using dinghies, which are small boats which may be rowboats, have an outboard motor, or be sailing dinghies. Dinghy racing has affected aspects of the modern sailing dinghy, including hull design, sail materials and sailplan, and techniques such as planing and trapezing.
The Topper is an 11 foot 43 kg (95 lb) sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. The Topper was a one-design boat until 2023 when a new version was produced, and is sailed mostly around the British Isles. It was recognised as a World Sailing Class. The boat previously constructed from polypropylene, and now roto moulded, is popular as a racing boat or for sail training. The class association (ITCA) organise racing events, which range from small travellers to major championships. The RYA run squads alongside the events; in these squads young sailors who are given specialist race coaching.
The Finn dinghy is a single-handed, cat-rigged sailboat, and a former Olympic class for men's sailing. Since its debut at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the Finn featured in every summer Olympics until 2020, making it the longest serving dinghy in the Olympic Regatta and one of the most prolific Olympic sailboats,. The Finn is a physically demanding boat to race at the highest levels, especially since the class rules now allow unlimited boat rocking and sail pumping when the wind is above 10 knots. The event will not feature on the Olympic programme from 2024.
The 470 (Four-Seventy) is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. Equipped with a spinnaker, trapeze and a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, it is designed to plane easily, and good teamwork is necessary to sail it well. The name comes from the boat's length of 470 centimetres.
The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by young people up to the age of 15.
Mateusz Kusznierewicz is a Polish sailor, specialising in the Finn and Star classes.
The Laser Radial or ILCA 6 is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy, originally built by Laser Performance. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The Laser Radial is a variant of the Laser Standard, with shorter mast and reduced sail area, allowing light sailors to sail in heavy winds. The International Class is recognised by World Sailing.
The Laser Standard or ILCA 7 is a popular one-design class of single-handed sailing dinghy, originally built by Performance Sailcraft Canada. The laser is cat rigged, with a single mainsail and is a simple, light and fast boat to sail. The Laser Standard is the original of the Laser family of dinghies, which also includes the Laser Radial and Laser 4.7, both of which use the same hull, but have smaller rigs.
The International 420 Dinghy is a sailing dinghy popular for racing and teaching. The hull is fiberglass with internal buoyancy tanks. The 420 has a bermuda rig, spinnaker and trapeze. It has a large sail-area-to-weight ratio, and is designed to plane easily. The 420 is an International class recognised by World Sailing. The name refers to the boat's length of 420 centimetres.
The OK Dinghy is an international class sailing dinghy, designed by Knud Olsen in 1956.
The Redhouse Yacht Club (RYC), which is amongst the oldest yacht clubs in South Africa, hosts large dinghy races, and operates a training program that has produced international champion sailors.
The RS Feva is a two-person sailing dinghy designed by Paul Handley in 2002. It is manufactured and distributed by RS Sailing. The RS Feva is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Class, a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Supported Junior Class, and has been selected by the Dansk Sejlunion and Norges Seilforbund for major sailing growth projects.
The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships was first held in Sweden in 1971 and it has been held every year since. It is one of the key events of the federation to help promote top-level youth participation.
The ISAF Team Racing World Championship is a team racing event now held every two years by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The first Team Racing World Championships were held in West Kirby, Great Britain in 1995. Great Britain won and so became the first nation to record its name on the ISAF Team Racing World Trophy, donated to ISAF by the West Kirby Sailing Club. A youth Championship began running in parallel with the main event since 2005. Summary information on the first three events is tabled below - full information will be found on the Team Racing Championships results page of the ISAF website. The appearance of West Kirby as the first championship host club reflects the club's pivotal role in promoting team racing – fostered by the activities of the Oxford & Cambridge Sailing Society.
The ILCA 7 World Championship, until 2020 the Laser World Championship, has been held every year since 1974, organized by the International Sailing Federation.
The Moth World Championship is an annual international sailing regatta for Moth (dinghy) they are organized by the host club on behalf of the International Moth Class Association and recognized by World Sailing, the sports IOC recognized governing body.
Optimist World Championship are annual World Championship sailing regattas in the Optimist class organised by the International Optimist Dinghy Association.
This is a list of International 14 World Championships is an international sailing regatta for the International 14 (dinghy) class, organized by the host club on behalf of the International 14 Class Association and recognized by World Sailing, the sports IOC recognized governing body.
The Lightning Youth World Championship is an bi-annual international sailing regatta for lightning (dinghy), organized by the host club on behalf of the International Lightning Class Association and recognized by World Sailing, the sports IOC recognized governing body.
Nick Craig (GBR)
Bo-Steffan Andersson (SWE)
Leith Armit (NZL)
Roger Blasse (AUS)
André Budzien (GER)
Poul Kirketerp (DEN)
