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 Laser is a class of single-handed, one-design sailing dinghies using a common hull design with three interchangeable rigs of different sail areas, appropriate to a given combination of wind strength and crew weight. Bruce Kirby designed the Laser in 1970 with an emphasis on simplicity and performance.
The Nordic Folkboat is a Swedish sailboat that was designed by Jac Iversen and Tord Sundén as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1942. Even though Sundén drafted the plans with design ideas provided by Iversen, Sundén was never credited as the actual designer of the boat.
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.
Beneteau or Bénéteau is a French sail and motor boat manufacturer, with production facilities in France and in the United States. The company is a large and recognized boat builder, commanding a substantial worldwide market, with its holding company now also holding other prestige brands such as Jeanneau and its multihull subsidiary Lagoon in 1995.
The 29er is a two-person high performance sailing skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and first produced in 1998. Derived from the Olympic class 49er class, it is raced in the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships. The 29er is able to reach high speeds fairly quickly by having a sleek and hydrodynamic hull and will often exceed the wind speed when planing both up and downwind.
Farr Yacht Design, founded by Bruce Farr in Auckland, New Zealand, is a racing yacht design firm based in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. The firm is led by Patrick Shaughnessy. Its yachts measure from 25 feet (7.6 m) to 125 feet (38 m). Farr develops custom and production yachts, including interiors, sails, and hull design. Farr uses outside research and development with tank testing and wind tunnels. Farr-designed yachts have won and placed well in a broad range of races.
The Farr 40 is a 40-foot one-design sailboat designed by Farr Yacht Design in 1996 following after the Mumm 30. It was originally designed as a one design class but had some compromises in design to rate under the International Measurement System (IMS) rule. The class has held World Sailing class status since 1997.
The RS Tera is a one-man monohull dinghy in the RS Sailing range of sailing boats. It is recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as an international class, and is a popular boat for beginners and for children to race.
The Farr 30 was designed by Farr Yacht Design led by Bruce Farr. The first boat was built by Carrol Marine and first launched in 1995. The class was recognised by the World Sailing from 1997 to 2018.
The International One Metre (IOM) is a class of Radio Sailing Boat used for racing under the World Sailing - Racing Rules of Sailing. It is a measurement-controlled box rule originally created by the ISAF-RSD (now the International Radio Sailing Association) in 1988 in an attempt to harmonise the various one metre rules created around the world. The IOM Class Rules specify a standardised sail plan and control of the other major performance dimensions (displacement, length, and draught) while allowing some freedom in hull design. The IOM is now the largest and arguably most competitive of all radio sailing classes.
Half Ton class was an offshore sailing class of the International Offshore Rule racing the Half Ton Cup between 1967 and 1993.
World championships in sailing are world championships organised or sanctioned by World Sailing. As a sport, sailing has the largest number of world championships due to the diversity of equipment and disciplines.
The Viper is a performance catamaran used for racing; it is a one design within the Formula 16 class. It is recognised as a class by the International Sailing Federation.
The Farr 3.7 is a one-person sailing dinghy designed by Bruce Farr in 1971. The design plans are sold by the 3.7 Class Owners Association and they are built by a mix of professionals and home built by amateurs. The 3.7 Class is recognised by Yachting New Zealand as a national class and yachts are sailed in New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain. Full sets of plans have been sold worldwide to a number of individuals with greatest numbers in Germany, Japan, USA, South Korea, Poland, France, Belgium, Russia, Spain, Uruguay.
Mumm 36 is a 10.91-metre (35.8 ft) sailboat class designed by Bruce Farr with about 100 boats built.
The Laser 28 is a Canadian-built sailboat designed by New Zealander Bruce Farr and first produced in 1984.
The Watkins 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Johannes "Jopie" Helsen, modified by Watkins Yachts and first built in 1973.
