Flipper
Description
The Flipper is a classic American children's sailing dinghy designed by Carter Pyle in collaboration with Joe Quigg. Introduced in 1966, it was named after the popular TV series about the friendly dolphin, evoking fun and adventure for young sailors. This compact, unsinkable daysailer was a hit for youth programs, summer camps, and family beach outings, emphasizing safety, simplicity, and ease of use. Over 1,000 were built, making it a staple in entry-level sailing education. Pyle, a prolific California-based naval architect (active in the 1960s–1980s), specialized in small fiberglass boats. His designs, including the Flipper, focused on affordability and durability for beginners—much like the Lancraft Kite from the same era. The Flipper stands out for its foam-filled hull, which prevents sinking even when swamped, a key safety feature for kids. Some Flippers were manufactured in California by Lancraft although Newport Boats was the primary source.
Construction Details
| Designer | Carter Pyle |
|---|---|
| Builder | Lockley Newport Boats |
| Length | 8.000 ft |
| LOA | 8.000 ft |
| Beam | 3.920 ft |
| Displacement | 80 lb |
| Max Draft | 2.200 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.160 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | 11.42 ft |
| e | 6 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | 11.42 ft | 6 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 11.42 ft - (3481 mm) |
| Foot | 6 ft - (1829 mm) |
| Leech | * 12.54 ft - (3822 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 12.71 ft - (3874 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area | * 35.74 ft² |
| Comments | 8-inch sleeves on the luff and foot. |
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.