Designer's Choice-- Dc 15
Description
The Designer's Choice 15 (also known as Designers Choice or DC 15) is a lightweight, versatile fiberglass sailing dinghy designed by the legendary firm Sparkman & Stephens (S&S design #2349) and built by Howmar Boats, Inc. in Miami, Florida, from 1978 to around 1981. Intended as a sail training and racing boat for beginners or clubs, it combines simplicity with spirited performance, making it suitable for day sailing, youth programs, or casual racing in protected waters like coastal bays, lakes, or tidal estuaries such as Delaware Bay. With a retractable centerboard and kick-up rudder, it's highly trailerable and beachable, ideal for shallow drafts and quick launches. Production was limited (fewer than 100 hulls estimated), leading to a dedicated following among classic dinghy enthusiasts.
Construction Details
| Designer | Sparkman and Stephens |
|---|---|
| Builder | Howmar Boats, Inc. |
| Length | 14.875 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 14 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 5.08 ft |
| p | 18.83 ft |
| e | 9.17 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 ft | 5.08 ft | 18.83 ft | 9.17 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 18.83 ft - (5739 mm) |
| Foot | 8.83 ft - (2691 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.06 ft - (6114 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 86.12 ° |
| Diagonal | 20.25 ft - (6172 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 85.7 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 13.33 ft - (4063 mm) |
| Foot | 6.25 ft - (1905 mm) |
| Leech | 11.92 ft - (3633 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.59 ft - (1704 mm) |
| Area | * 37.24 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | 14.92 ft - (4548 mm) |
| MidGirth | 9.25 ft - (2819 mm) |
| Foot | 9.25 ft - (2819 mm) |
| Area | * 117 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.