Wayfarer (dinghy)

The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled fractional Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy of great versatility; it can be used for short 'day boat' trips, for longer cruises and for racing. Over 11,000 have been produced as of 2016. The boat is 15 feet 10 inches (4.83 m) long, and broad and deep enough for three adults to comfortably sail for several hours. Longer trips are undertaken by enthusiasts, notably Frank Dye who sailed W48 'Wanderer' from Scotland to Iceland and Norway, crossing the North Sea twice. The Wayfarer's size, stability and seaworthiness have made it popular with sailing schools, and led it to be used as a family boat in a wide variety of locations. A cruising dinghy, Wayfarers are also raced with a (2026) Portsmouth Number of 1107. From the original wooden design by Ian Proctor in 1957 many subsequent versions of the Wayfarer have been produced. There is also a double-hulled Canadian clone, known as the CL 16, featuring a simplified rig but otherwise identical. Genuine Wayfarers can be identified by the "W" symbol on their sails. The sail plan consists of a Bermuda rig with a main, jib, and symmetrical spinnaker. The boat uses a retractable centreboard. An optional asymmetric spinnaker and spinnaker chute is available; also available is a "sail patch" which provides flotation for the mast in the event of a capsize (and particularly to prevent the boat inverting – Turtling). One-design racing is active and competitive — regionally, nationally and internationally.

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