Holder Hawk

Description

The Holder Hawk is a high-performance 9-foot 6-inch single-handed skiff designed by Ron Holder and built by Holder Marine (and briefly Vagabond Sailboats) from 1985 until the early 1990s. With its distinctive fully battened 75 sq ft mainsail on an unstayed, rotating carbon-fiber/epoxy wing mast, narrow waterline, flared topsides, and lightweight (approximately 100 lbs.) foam-sandwich hull, the Hawk was created as an American answer to the International Moth before the foiling era. It features a sliding seat (wings) for hiking power, a fully retractable daggerboard, and a kick-up rudder, enabling it to plane extremely early and reach impressive speeds in only 8–10 knots of wind. Fast, demanding, and unforgiving in a breeze—yet surprisingly docile when sailed conservatively—the Hawk developed a small but passionate cult following on the U.S. West Coast and in Texas fleets. Although production ceased decades ago and relatively few (fewer than 200) were built, surviving Hawks are still actively raced and cherished as one of the most exhilarating production single-handers of the 1980s.