Small Sailboat Types: Sail Smaller and Savor It All

You’ve got the sailing bug and you’ve learned there are many types of small sailboat you should consider buying to get started. Why is that? Because aboard a small boat, you and your senses and your elbow grease play every role, and then some. There’s just no downside to such pure activity so close to the surface of liquid Earth. 

With each lesson, newcomers can discover how easy it is to maneuver a small craft because it is so responsive. Nudge the tiller and immediately experience a shift in course. Pull on a line and feel the hull speed change. The sailboat is your magic carpet, drawing energy from air to move you near and far, from lake and river to estuary and ocean. 

Whether you race, cruise, embark on a high-speed or high-latitude adventure, charter for a holiday, or take a casual day sail, the act of getting outdoors and on the water keeps you fitter, healthier, and mentally sharper — attributes that give you an important edge in your more mature years, whether you trade up to a full-size cruising or performance sailboat, head far offshore, or keep sailing small boats in lakes, bays, and harbors.   

Here's a rundown of the many affordable and diverse small sailboat design types on the market, each offering optimal simplicity and efficiency for learning basic skills.

Types of Small Sailboats

The term "small sailboat" encompasses a wide range of sailboat models. Generally, if a boat is less than 25 feet long, has a mast, rudder, and sail, and can be towed on a trailer, it is considered a small sailboat. Various types of small sailboats have different characteristics that may make them better for certain types of sailing. Let’s review some of the most popular small sailboat types. 

Sailing dinghies

Sailing dinghies are frequently chosen because they are light and responsive. They are usually rigged with one mast and one sail, making them easy to handle, and they have a shallow draft, allowing them to be used almost anywhere. Sailing dinghies are also some of the least expensive sailboats because they tend to be simple with few features. Most are equipped with a retractable daggerboard or a centerboard.

The experience they deliver is one that puts the sailor closer to the surface of the water, whether from the roomy cockpit of a Beetle Cat, or from the more board-like surface of a Sunfish. Dinghy sailing also affords enthusiasts the chance to “hike out” on the hull. Leaning out alters the center of gravity in the boat and makes it go faster as the wind increases.

Beetle Cat: Beetle Cat sailing dinghies are a traditional design with a single sail (“cat rigged”), about 12 feet long with a draft of 2 feet. They are great for short coastal day cruisers as long as you’re comfortable sitting on the floorboards! A larger 14-foot model includes seats.

Laser: Laser sailing dinghies are fast, nearly 14 feet long and weigh about 130 pounds, making them easy to maneuver and transport. Raced in the Olympics by one sailor (the class is named the ILCA 6 and 7), the boats plane easily in a breeze and require mobility and athleticism in a breeze.

Optimist: The famed children’s dinghy, at less than 8 feet long, is designed for youth and can be raced under the rules of the International Optimist Dinghy Association by anyone up to 15 years old. 

RS Venture: The Venture model from RS Sailing is 16 feet long and is often used in training classes for those new to sailing. 

RS Aero: The Aero model from RS Sailing is nearly 14 feet long and is known for its speed, making it popular with experienced racers.

Sunfish: A 14-footer, the Sunfish has a short mast, a lateen rig with upper and lower booms, and is ideal both for those learning how to sail and experienced racers.

Tiwal makes inflatable sailboats for both competition and family daysailing. Tiwal photo.

Tiwal 3R: This award-winning inflatable boat for one or two crew is 10 feet long and 121 pounds when rigged. Its success, aside from performance, is its portability. No trailer needed here — it packs into two 5-foot duffel bags.

Topaz Taz: At slightly less than 10 feet, the Topaz Taz is a small, modern sailing dinghy primarily for training children and teenagers. Topaz boats for sale

Topaz Taz. Topper Saliboats photo.

Daysailers

Daysailer is a broad category of small sailboat types based on usage, size, and rig. Daysailers, also known as dayboats, are larger than sailing dinghies and sometimes include overnight accommodations. Keelboat daysailers have a fixed appendage on the bottom of the hull that provides sideways resistance to counter the force of the wind on the sails; centerboards on daysailers perform the same job while also being retractable in shallows. At Rightboat, we list a large selection of daysailers in a wide variety of styles. 

Cape Cod DaySailer: This 16-foot centerboard sailboat available in standard and racing versions is one of the most affordable models for its size and has enough room to seat several people comfortably. 

Montgomery 17: This small sloop has a length of roughly 17 feet and a retractable centerboard keel so it can be sailed in just 2 feet of water.

Sun Cat: This interpretation of a classic cat boat is a centerboard daysailer from Com-Pac Yachts. At nearly 18 feet long, it has twin 6-foot berths as well as a handful of other useful amenities.

West Wight Potter P19: The P19 model from West Wight Potter features a fractional rig and lifting keel. At just less 20 feet, it is equipped with four berths, galley, sink, and stove. It’s a cozy little cruiser for weekend and longer outings.

Flying Scot: At just less than 20 feet, the Flying Scot centerboarder is a low-displacement daysailer and popular one-design class. It races with two but can comfortably seat up to eight people. 

Harbor 20: This stable one-design 20-footer with a 900-pound bulb keel is great for cruising and racing, solo or with a group of friends. Its easily handled self-tacking rig and latest marine technology below the waterline make for a swift and smooth ride.

BayRaider 20: The BayRaider centerboard boat is an award winner for its portability, performance, good looks, build quality and safety features. Its blend of modern technology and traditional appearance is highlighted by an open cockpit. 

Catalina 22 Sport: The Catalina 22 Sport daysailer is nearly 22 feet long, can sleep four people, and has a retractable keel for a draft of less than two feet. Catalina boats for sale

Marblehead 22: The Marblehead 22 is a daysailer with an easily handled rig, bulb keel, and a cockpit that is nearly 12 feet long. It has plenty of room for a group.

Marblehead 22. Zurn photo.

Small Multihulls

Small catamarans and trimarans are a good choice for beginning sailors who want something different. These sailboats offer a wider base and can be rigged with one or two sails. They’re used for cruising, racing, even fishing. Newer to the scene are foiling multihulls such as the UFO foiling catamaran, a simply rigged and stowable lightweight craft that supplies the helmsperson stability on or above the water. Here are some models to consider:

Hobie Wave: The boomless 13-foot Hobie Wave comes with one sail, forgiving and durable rotomolded construction, and a mast float to keep it from turtling in the event of a capsize.

Hobie 16: The sloop-rigged Hobie 16 catamaran sparked the beach-cat revolution when designed in 1970 due to its speed off the beach with crew on a trapeze and successful promotion of the Hobie lifestyle. Made of fiberglass, the Hobie 16 is nearly 17 feet long and still known for its international one-design racing class.

Minicat: Its European manufacturer created a line of inflatable catamarans in various sizes. A key feature is easy assembly from the components, which fit in up to three completely portable bags. 

Weta Trimaran: With a length a few inches beyond 14 feet, a beam less than 12 feet, this self-tacking, boom-less multihull offers easy recreation and international competition in the form of a global one-design fleet. It is capsize-resistant and packs up to the dimensions of a Laser.

More information: Buying A Sailing Catamaran

Hobie 16. Hobie photo.

This article, originally by Toi Williams, was published in March 2023 and then revamped by Elaine Lembo in June 2024.