Vanguard 15
The Vanguard 15 is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Bob Ames as a one-design racer and first built in 1992.[1][2][3]
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Bob Ames |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1992 |
| Builder(s) | Team Vanguard LaserPerformance |
| Boat | |
| Crew | two |
| Boat weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Draft | 3.42 ft (1.04 m) with the daggerboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 15.25 ft (4.65 m) |
| LWL | 15.00 ft (4.57 m) |
| Beam | 5.50 ft (1.68 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | daggerboard |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 77 sq ft (7.2 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 48 sq ft (4.5 m2) |
| Total sail area | 125 sq ft (11.6 m2) |
Production
The design was built by Team Vanguard in the United States and later by LaserPerformance, but it is now out of production.[1][3][4]
Design
The Vanguard 15 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars, a raked stem, a vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable daggerboard. It displaces 200 lb (91 kg) and is capable of planing upwind.[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 3.42 ft (1.04 m) with the daggerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof rack.[1]
For sailing the design is equipped with a boom vang and the mainsail and jib have windows for improved visibility. The halyards are external and the mast is of a non-tapered design. The boat is normally raced with a crew of two sailors.[3]
Operational history
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the Vanguard 15 is designed for college/yacht club racing fleets. Rig is simple, and the boat is a strict one-design. The deck is rounded, for easy hiking ... With the daggerboard and light weight, the boat may be easily dry sailed — often helpful for fleet sailing."[3]
In 2014, a Vanguard 15 one-design racer, John Storck III, reported that the boat was falling out of favor with college sailors and that attendance at regattas was declining.[5]
See also
References
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Vanguard 15 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Bob Ames". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 54-55. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "LaserPerformance". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- Storck III, John (25 July 2014). "Elegy for the Vanguard 15: Good Things Do End, But That's Okay…". sail1design.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
