Rhodes Bantam
Description
The Rhodes Bantam is a classic American one-design racing dinghy designed by Philip L. Rhodes (his design from 1945). Launched the same year in Skaneateles, New York, it was created as a strict one-design class for competitive yet accessible sailing—originally aimed at club racing, youth training, and family fun in protected waters like lakes, bays, or coastal areas. It's often hailed as one of Rhodes' successful small-boat designs, blending elegance, performance, and simplicity in a lightweight package. The class remains active in pockets (with a dedicated Rhodes Bantam Class Association for rules, events, and support), though fleets are smaller and more regional today compared to bigger one-designs like the Rhodes 19. Many originals were wooden (mahogany plywood or carvel), with some fiberglass versions built later. It's prized by enthusiasts for its responsive handling, forgiving nature, and surprising speed—great for two-person crews (optimal ~300–400 lbs total weight), though solo-capable in lighter air.
Construction Details
| Designer | Philip L. Rhodes |
|---|---|
| Length | 15.000 ft |
| LOA | 14.000 ft |
| LWL | 13.080 ft |
| Beam | 5.500 ft |
| Displacement | 325 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.170 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1945 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | 17.17 ft |
| e | 9 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | 17.17 ft | 9 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Rhodes Bantam - MAINSAIL
| Luff | 17.167 ft - (5233 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | * 18.63 ft - (5678 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 86.08 ° |
| Diagonal | 18.83 ft - (5739 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 79.57 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Bantam - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 12.56 ft - (3828 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.75 ft - (2362 mm) |
| Leech | 12.35 ft - (3764 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 7.3 ft - (2225 mm) |
| Area | * 45.85 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Bantam - SPINNAKER
| Stays | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | 11.33 ft - (3453 mm) |
| Foot | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Area | * 166 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.