 Class symbol | |
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Clark Mills |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1953 |
| No. built | 5700 |
| Builder(s) | Johannsen Boat Works Lockley Newport Boats Advance Sailboat Corp. |
| Role | One-designracer |
| Name | Windmill |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Draft | 4.17 ft (1.27 m) with the "longboard-style"daggerboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass or plywood |
| LOA | 15.50 ft (4.72 m) |
| LWL | 14.50 ft (4.42 m) |
| Beam | 4.75 ft (1.45 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | daggerboard |
| Rudder | transom-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional riggedsloopMasthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 85 sq ft (7.9 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 34 sq ft (3.2 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | none |
| Total sail area | 119 sq ft (11.1 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 90.2 |
TheWindmill is an Americansailing dinghy that was designed byClark Mills as aone-designracer and first built in 1953.[1][2][3]
The Windmill hull design was developed into theUS1 single-handedcatboat in 1974.[4]
Originally intended to beamateur-constructed from four sheets ofplywood, the boat was also commercially manufactured fromfiberglass. The design was built byJohannsen Boat Works,Lockley Newport Boats andAdvance Sailboat Corp. in theUnited States, but it is now out of production. A total of 5700 examples of the type have been completed.[1][3][5][6][7]
The Windmill is a recreationalsailboat, built predominantly of plywood or fiberglass in the form of a double hull with a foam core, resulting in an unsinkable boat. It has afractionalsloop rig withaluminum spars. The boat and is sailed only with ajib andmainsail, nospinnaker and notrapeze. The hull has a roundedplumb stem, a conventionaltransom, a transom-hungrudder controlled by atiller and a retractabledaggerboard. It displaces 198 lb (90 kg),[1][3]
The boat has adraft of 4.17 ft (1.27 m) with the daggerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowingbeaching or ground transportation on atrailer or car roof rack.[1]
For sailing the design is equipped with jib and mainsail windows for visibility. It also has an internal 2:1mechanical advantageouthaul, a 4:1boom vang controlled by the boat's skipper and a 4:1Cunningham. The boat has adjustable jib fairleads and amainsheet traveler, plus an Elvstrom bailer.[3]
The design has aPortsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 90.2 and is normally raced with a crew of twosailors.[3]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the Windmill is a high-performance sloop that can be built from plans or from a kit, or purchased complete. She is very light and planes quickly. Class rules are strict, and neither spinnakers nor trapezes are allowed. With a double hull and closed-cell foam, the boat is unsinkable. This type of construction also results in a very rigid boat."[3]
The boat is supported by an active class club, the Windmill Class Association.[8]
Related development
Media related toWindmill (sailing dinghy) at Wikimedia Commons