Flicka (Sloop Rig)
Description
The Flicka 20 is a compact American pocket cruiser designed by Bruce Bingham as a seaworthy bluewater sailboat, capable of offshore voyages despite its 20 ft length, ideal for solo or couple cruising on coastal waters, lakes, or open ocean. Introduced in 1972 by Nor'Star Marine in California during the small-boat fiberglass boom, it gained fame for its "go-anywhere" reputation, with over 400 production units built by Pacific Seacraft from 1981 to 1994 (after acquiring the molds). Home-built versions number in the hundreds, emphasizing simplicity and durability. The design features a fiberglass monohull with a full keel and spade rudder for stable tracking and upwind pointing, a narrow beam for agility, and versatile rig options for light-air performance and ease of handling. It prioritizes seaworthiness with a heavy displacement/length ratio for a comfortable ride and a high ballast ratio for stiffness in gusts, though its low freeboard limits heavy-weather comfort. Rig variants include the standard masthead sloop/cutter, optional gaff cutter, and popular junk rig conversions for shorthanded simplicity. Contemporary reviews praised its "disproportionate capability" as a "micro-ocean racer," with owners like Robert Hobbs circumnavigating solo. It's a cult favorite for minimalists.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bruce Bingham |
|---|---|
| Builder | Nor'Star Marine |
| Length | 20.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 27.90 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.50 ft |
| p | 23.83 ft |
| e | 9.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.90 ft | 10.50 ft | 23.83 ft | 9.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Flicka (Sloop Rig) - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 23.83 ft - (7263 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.5 ft - (2896 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 25.34 ft - (7724 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 117.04 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 25.5 ft - (7772 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.167 ft - (3709 mm) |
| Leech | 22.5 ft - (6858 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 102.29 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.74 ft - (3274 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.45 ° |
| Area | * 136.88 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 23.5 ft - (7163 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.67 ft - (3252 mm) |
| Leech | 19.33 ft - (5892 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 82.57 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.67 ft - (2643 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 15.05 ° |
| Area | * 101.85 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 23.83 ft - (7263 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9.5 ft - (2896 mm) |
| Leech | 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 90.29 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.48 ft - (2890 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * -17.3 ° |
| Area | * 113 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Leech | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.86 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.64 ft - (3548 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.92 ° |
| Area | * 145.49 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Leech | 23.4 ft - (7132 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 98.76 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.37 ft - (3161 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.42 ° |
| Area | * 137.41 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - GENOA
| Luff | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 14.42 ft - (4395 mm) |
| Leech | 23.75 ft - (7239 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 120.57 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.66 ft - (3859 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.99 ° |
| Area | * 170.9 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - GENOA
| Luff | 27.25 ft - (8306 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.52 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.7 ft - (4785 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 1.94 ° |
| Area | * 213.89 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - DRIFTER
| Luff | 27.75 ft - (8458 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Leech | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 136 % |
| Length Perp | * 14.28 ft - (4353 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6.23 ° |
| Area | * 198.07 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Leech | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 381 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - STAYSAIL
| Luff | 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.1 ft - (2164 mm) |
| Leech | 16.33 ft - (4977 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 6.44 ft - (1963 mm) |
| Area | * 57.95 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - STAYSAIL
| Luff | 19.2 ft - (5852 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.2 ft - (2195 mm) |
| Leech | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.46 ft - (1664 mm) |
| Area | * 52.42 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - STORMJIB
| Luff | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9.25 ft - (2819 mm) |
| Leech | 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 77.05 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.09 ft - (2466 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.36 ° |
| Area | * 80.91 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - STORMJIB
| Luff | 14.5 ft - (4420 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.5 ft - (2286 mm) |
| Leech | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 53.05 % |
| Length Perp | * 5.57 ft - (1698 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 21.36 ° |
| Area | * 40.42 ft² |
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Flicka (Sloop Rig) - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 8 ft - (2438 mm) |
| Leech | 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 8.11 ft - (2472 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 12.65 ° |
| Area | * 41 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
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.