Description
The Piaf is a charming French daysailer/dinghy from the classic era of lightweight, family-oriented sailboats—designed by Philippe Staempfli and first built in 1965. It's a compact, unsinkable (self-bailing) fiberglass centerboard (or daggerboard in early versions) monohull that's perfect for relaxed lake or coastal sailing, picnics, fishing with a small outboard (up to 4 hp), or gentle family outings. Think of it as a French cousin to boats like the Zef or Caravelle—simple, forgiving, and fun in light-to-moderate winds, though it shows its limits in stronger breezes compared to sportier dinghies.
Production started with Staem-Marine (early daggerboard models with more wood elements), then shifted to the more popular fiberglass version by Spair Marine from around 1970 onward, running until about 1980. It's ultralight and high-performing for its size, with good initial stability but lower capsize recovery once over—best sailed with care and preferably two people (up to three max).
