The Toronto Dinghy

Several years ago I was working on a sailing history project on the Genesee Dinghy, one of the earliest North American racing dinghies. It never got farther than a couple of chapters. Last week a canoe sailing historian contacted me with a question and I dug out the first chapter, "The Toronto Dinghy", which detailed the precursor to the Genesee Dinghy, the two Toronto dinghies introduced at the end of the 19th century. I reproduce a PDF of the first chapter here for the few Earwigoagin readers who are interested in early North American small boat history.

(As always, use the pop-out icon, top right, to open the PDF in another tab for printing or download.)



The George Aykroyd 14 footer would become the turn-of-the-century L.S.S.A. restricted 14-footer class.

And more L.S.S.A 14 history from the CBIFDA blog.

Some crash and burn to close out 2019!

The first race of the 2019 U.K. Moth Championships featured big breeze and spectacular wipe-outs. (As a change of pace, at the 2:04 mark it is amusing to see a rather slow submerge to a slow endo.)

Header Photo: Bermuda Fitted Dinghy; Transom Shot

Over the years, through several blog posts, Tweezerman has shown the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy a lot of love. They are just so damn photogenic. The previous header photo was a transom shot of "Victory" (at least this is my best guess). This and the following photos of the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy have been lifted from FB.

Music Whenever: Hot Sardines "I Wanna Be Like You"

Let's get some foot-tapping and hand-clapping going!

Header Photo: 110's bashing upwind

The previous header photo was of a pair of 110 keelboats bashing upwind back in the 1970's. The 110 was an odd-ball 1936 Ray Hunt design, born in the Great Depression era. The hull was a double-ended, narrow canoe shape, flat-bottomed. I've bumped into them occasionally.  At a wedding at Ocean City Y.C, New Jersey in early 2000's I found a small fleet on trailers in the dinghy park. There was also one that showed up at the WOOD regatta back in 2011. My friend Tom Price has one awaiting restoration. I've never sailed on a 110.

The class was originally strong in New England with pockets scattered throughout the U.S. In the present day, it seems most of the 110 activity in the U.S. has shifted West; just north of San Francisco; Tomales Bay, with a fleet at the Inverness Y.C.

More history on the Ray Hunt Ten-Series designs.

The distinctive shape of the 110 can be seen in this heeled-over photo pulled from the InterWebs.

James W. Laws

The specs for the 110 as put out in the OD-OY magazine's annual class review. The hull weight is 412 kg (910 lbs.) which is identical to some of our heaviest North American dinghies.

An early photo of Hull No. 33.