10 OF THE BEST SAILING DINGHIES

What an impossible task: “Pick 10 of your favourite sailing dinghies under 16ft,” said the editor. “Something suitable for a family, good for rowing, too, and that you can stick on outboard on if necessary.” Balancing the contradictory requirements of this type of boat – sail vs oar vs outboard – is a challenge that has tested generations of designers, and there is a bewildering array of designs out there. So, I decided to go personal and focus on boats that are a) currently available, and b) which I’ve either sailed on or witnessed their performance close at hand.

(better known for his bigger, workboat-inspired cruising yachts, such as ). He says the boat was inspired by the dinghies in Claud Worth’s book and planked in Sitka spruce, as recommended by the celebrated yachtsman, although Butler says he hasn’t yet built one “so thin as to be transparent, as he mentions in his book!” I sailed on the first Lily