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Windmill Class Association
District 8
California & Nevada
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The only high-performance
one-design that can be home-built.
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Planes
at 10 knots |
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The
Windmill is a 15 1/2 foot, 2-person racing dinghy designed by boat-builder Clark
Mills in 1953. Having designed the Optimist Pram in 1947, Clark saw a
need for a 2-person high performance dingy that can be inexpensively
constructed by amateur builders. The class has since evolved with the times
to allow fiberglass construction and aluminum spars, yet both wooden and
fiberglass Windmills remain equally competitive. The Windmill is a born
racer. Its narrow, hard-chined planing hull provides high performance. Being
one of the fastest non-trapeze, non-spinnaker sail boats, makes the Windmill accessible to a wide
range of sailing skills.
National
Windmill Class Website |
Specifications:
Some of the basic numbers for
the Windmill are:
Length Overall 15' 6"
Beam 4' 9"
Sail Area 119 sq. ft.
Draft - Board Down 4' 2" / Board Up 6"
Mast Height 20' 3"
Portsmouth Ratings:
Level 89.7 Light air
92.3 Medium 91.4 Heavy
86.4
Windmill
sail boats are available from Sorensen
Woodcraft in any stage of construction, from kit to finished boat.
Some
Windmill frequently asked questions -
What
does the term "one-design class" mean?
Simply
that all boats are the same in
dimensions, weight, and key components (i.e. mast height, materials, sail sizes,
etc) with only the cosmetic
appearance of individual boats being different. A common design is necessary for
racing classes, which the Windmill is, so that competition is based on skill on
the water, not on the design differences
undertaken by individual builders and owners.
However, most of the running rigging details and how a Windmill one design boat is finished is left
to individual choice of the owner.
How
much cash would I need to either buy or build a Windmill?
Good
Question, and “Depends” is the answer. What time of year, the region
of the country, and stumbling upon a good deal all factor into the costs.
A good used race-ready,
fiberglass Windmill can be had for roughly $1000-$2500. There are no used
fiberglass Windmills available on the west coast, but you will find ones that come up
for sale back east.
"Restoration
Projects", usually wood, can be found for much less, but will often need an
investment of time and money to bring it back to safe sailing condition.
A
brand new fiberglass Windmill is not available at this time. Custom built wood
Windmills can run over $9000. However you can buy wood boats in any stage of
construction from kits to a bare hull so that depending on your resourcefulness
it can be constructed for $3500-$5000 or build it from plans.
Where
can I get plans to build my own Windmill?
A plan package sells for $60 but includes a lot more than just the plans with
instruction books on different construction methods included.
See the Article on Building
A Wooden Windmill.
To
order a Windmill Plan Package, Contact the Class Secretary/Treasurer.
Prefabricated
"Kits" are also available. See the Advertisers
section of the Windmill Class Website.
How
can a Windmill be transported?
With
a hull weight of only 198 pounds and a total weight of around 225 pounds, a
Windmill easily be towed on a light duty trailer by a compact car. One member of
our fleet tows his with a Mazda 3.
Must
I have rippling stomach muscles to competitively race a Windmill?
No,
but physical fitness helps. Races
are decided primarily on tactics, not athletics. However, you may have to
occasionally hike hard to keep the boat flat and driving,
and Windmill sailors are generally fit sailors.
Is the Windmill a good boat for leisurely,
romantic sailing on lazy warm afternoons?
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It
depends. With the right couple, any boat can be a good boat for romantic
sailing. What’s not romantic about being on the water? With
some good food, your portable iPod playing some tunes, and nice bottle of water
or wine, you’ll no doubt find yourselves enjoying the simple pleasures of the
day and each other. Windmiller's that have spent an afternoon on the
water with their loved one, think the Windmill is a perfect boat.
However, if you’re thinking restrooms, large bench seating, and covered shade
awnings, this may not be the boat for you and your romantic adventures.
It depends upon the needs of the person.
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Is
the Windmill a good boat for first-time sailors?
Yes
and No.
Yes, if you are a quick learner and are not afraid of challenges, and can access
a good friendly mentor to help you through the learning curves.
There is so much that the Windmill offers in terms of simplicity and pure joy on
the water, first time sailors can be drawn to her.
No, if you are timid around water or impatient with the time it takes to master
some of the needed skills in a very challenging boat.
I know a lot about the technical aspects of
rigging and sailing, would I be too smart to own a Windmill?
It
turns out that most people are less smarter than they think. Generally,
the Windmill offers the technical rigging folk plenty of ground to cultivate.
Compared to today’s highly tweaked dinghies with
control lines running wild, the Windmill may look too basic. It is
important to note that the differences between most of our fleet champions and
the rest of the competitors is their abilities to utilize the required rigging
when necessary, while staying focused upon the multiple dimensions of sailing
today’s lightweight dinghies.
For whom is the Windmill an ideal boat?
The
Windmill is an ideal boat for families who are interested in beginning sailing,
club racing or the technical aspects of sailboat performance. The most common
crew configurations are husband-wife, parent-child, or two young adults. The
current cadre of Windmill Class Association racers come from many professions
but most have an innate interest in the technical aspects of sailing,
maintain their boats in very functional conditions and enjoy the social aspects
of club/association membership.
Windmill,
the only high-performance one-design that can be home-built. Also
the outstanding sailing achievement of District 8's Ray Drew. Read
more.
| Interested
in sailing a Windmill?
Contact one of the owners in your area in the Roster
page to see if it can be arranged for you to come along as crew.
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