Precision 16
Description
The Precision 16 is an American trailerable sailing dinghy designed by Stephen Seaton and built by Precision Boat Works (USA) starting in 1982 (with production continuing into later years as part of their small-boat lineup). It features fiberglass construction with a centerboard hull for easy trailering and beaching, a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars for responsive and forgiving handling, generous freeboard and side decks to stay dry, a large cockpit (about 8 ft long with room for 4 adults comfortably), self-bailing cockpit, positive flotation, and a focus on fun, accessible daysailing on lakes or protected waters without requiring expert skills—making it ideal for beginners, families, or casual sailors. Hundreds were built (exact numbers untracked but common in used markets), with owners praising its stability, speed in moderate winds, ease of rigging (though the mast is long/heavy without a tabernacle in early models), and dry ride.
Construction Details
| Designer | Stephen Seaton |
|---|---|
| Builder | Precision Boat Works (USA) |
| Length | 16.250 ft |
| LOA | 16.250 ft |
| LWL | 14.000 ft |
| Beam | 6.670 ft |
| Displacement | 390 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.670 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.670 ft |
| Year Built | 1982 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 17 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 6.42 ft |
| p | 20 ft |
| e | 8.92 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 ft | 6.42 ft | 20 ft | 8.92 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Precision 16 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.92 ft - (2719 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.42 ft - (6529 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 21.61 ft - (6587 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 92.09 ft² |
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Precision 16 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 16.75 ft - (5105 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.92 ft - (2414 mm) |
| Leech | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.44 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 7.09 ft - (2161 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.79 ° |
| Area | * 59.37 ft² |
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Precision 16 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 14.54 ft - (4432 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.77 ft - (2673 mm) |
| Leech | * 12.27 ft - (3740 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.95 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 7.38 ft - (2249 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 53.65 ft² |
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Precision 16 - GENOA
| Luff | * 17.26 ft - (5261 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.6 ft - (3231 mm) |
| Leech | * 16.04 ft - (4889 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.63 ft - (2935 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 83.1 ft² |
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Precision 16 - GENOA
| Luff | 16.75 ft - (5105 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 8.75 ft - (2667 mm) |
| Leech | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 124.92 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.02 ft - (2444 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.81 ° |
| Area | * 67.2 ft² |
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Precision 16 - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 17.26 ft - (5261 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.09 ft - (3380 mm) |
| Leech | * 15.2 ft - (4633 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 9.63 ft - (2935 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.04 ° |
| Area | * 83.11 ft² |
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Precision 16 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 17.26 ft - (5261 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.59 ft - (3228 mm) |
| Leech | * 15.88 ft - (4840 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 137 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.
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