Description
The O'Day 15-2 is an American-built daysailer designed by John Deknatel of C. Raymond Hunt Associates and first produced in 1981 by O'Day Corp. in Fall River, Massachusetts, as a lightweight, trailerable evolution of the earlier O'Day 15-1, prioritizing playful responsiveness, simplicity for beginners or families, and effortless portability for beach launches or club racing in light to moderate winds without compromising stability or fun factor. Constructed from fiberglass with a daggerboard for shallow-water versatility and a fractional sloop rig, it displaces just 350 pounds with no ballast, measures 14.92 feet LOA, 5.83 feet beam, and drafts 0.58 feet board-up to 3.67 feet board-down, achieving a theoretical hull speed of about 5.5 knots and 175 square feet of sail area under a responsive setup featuring a roller-furling jib and optional spinnaker for downwind excitement, all without an engine for pure sailing purity. Renowned for its buoyant planing hull, open cockpit seating up to four, self-bailing design, and easy single-handed rigging, the O'Day 15-2 was produced through 1983 with a modest run of units amid the yard's turbulent era, enduring as an affordable, low-maintenance classic for novice sailors or nostalgic enthusiasts seeking unadulterated joy on protected waters where speed and simplicity reign supreme.
