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National One Design
Designer: William F. Crosby  ·  Builder: Ray Greene & Co.  ·  First built: 1936
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About the National One Design

Designed by William F. Crosby in 1936, this classic centerboard dinghy represents one of America's most enduring one-design racing fleets. With approximately 1,000 boats built over the decades, the National One Design has maintained a devoted following among sailors who appreciate traditional racing in a pure, uncluttered design. At 17 feet overall with a fractional sloop rig, this boat delivers spirited performance on protected waters while remaining manageable for intermediate sailors. The centerboard configuration allows for shallow water exploration and easy trailering, while the 137 square feet of sail area provides ample power for competitive racing. Originally constructed in wood by Ray Greene & Co., later fiberglass versions have helped preserve the class while reducing maintenance requirements. The National One Design excels in one-design fleet racing, club sailing, and daysailing on bays, lakes, and protected coastal waters. Its relatively light 400-pound displacement and narrow beam create a responsive, athletic feel that rewards good sailing technique. The boat's low comfort ratio and moderate capsize screening value indicate it's best suited for day sailing rather than extended cruising, making it an ideal choice for sailors seeking pure sailing enjoyment and competitive racing in a time-tested design.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 10.50 ft / 3.20 m
Beam 5.67 ft / 1.73 m
Max Draft 3.50 ft / 1.07 m
Min Draft 0.17 ft / 0.05 m
Displacement 400.00 lb / 181 kg
Sail Area (Reported) 137.00 ft² / 12.73 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Centerboard Dinghy
Rigging Type Fractional Sloop
Construction Wood or Fiberglass
Designer William F. Crosby
Builder Ray Greene & Co.
First Built 1936
Number Built 1000
Associations National One-Design Class Association
Owner Reviews

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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
40.43
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
154.26
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
4.92
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
3.08
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 4.34 kn
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 212.73 pounds/inch
How It Compares

vs. Capri 18 Catalina, Monarch 17 Nz, Sage 17, Sigma 18, Sun Cat 17 1

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
National One Design ★
17.0 ft
Capri 18 Catalina
18.0 ft
Monarch 17 Nz
17.1 ft
Sage 17
16.8 ft
Sigma 18
17.5 ft
Sun Cat 17 1
16.5 ft
LWL
National One Design ★
10.5 ft
Capri 18 Catalina
16.3 ft
Monarch 17 Nz
15.5 ft
Sage 17
15.6 ft
Sigma 18
15.3 ft
Sun Cat 17 1
15.0 ft
Beam
National One Design ★
5.7 ft
Capri 18 Catalina
7.6 ft
Monarch 17 Nz
7.2 ft
Sage 17
6.8 ft
Sigma 18
6.3 ft
Sun Cat 17 1
7.3 ft
Displacement
National One Design ★
400 lbs
Capri 18 Catalina
1 lbs
Monarch 17 Nz
1 lbs
Sage 17
1 lbs
Sigma 18
1 lbs
Sun Cat 17 1
1 lbs
Ballast
National One Design ★
Capri 18 Catalina
425 lbs
Monarch 17 Nz
399 lbs
Sage 17
520 lbs
Sigma 18
450 lbs
Sun Cat 17 1
Sail Area
National One Design ★
137 sq ft
Capri 18 Catalina
155 sq ft
Monarch 17 Nz
169 sq ft
Sage 17
163 sq ft
Sigma 18
Sun Cat 17 1
Performance
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
National One Design ★
40.4
Capri 18 Catalina
19.0
Monarch 17 Nz
22.8
Sage 17
21.9
Sigma 18
Sun Cat 17 1
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
National One Design ★
Capri 18 Catalina
28.3 %
Monarch 17 Nz
30.7 %
Sage 17
40.0 %
Sigma 18
36.9 %
Sun Cat 17 1
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
National One Design ★
4.9
Capri 18 Catalina
9.3
Monarch 17 Nz
9.2
Sage 17
9.9
Sigma 18
Sun Cat 17 1
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
National One Design ★
3.08
Capri 18 Catalina
2.65
Monarch 17 Nz
2.62
Sage 17
2.48
Sigma 18
Sun Cat 17 1
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
National One Design ★
154
Capri 18 Catalina
153
Monarch 17 Nz
156
Sage 17
153
Sigma 18
153
Sun Cat 17 1
158
Hull Speed
National One Design ★
4.3 kts
Capri 18 Catalina
5.4 kts
Monarch 17 Nz
5.3 kts
Sage 17
5.3 kts
Sigma 18
Sun Cat 17 1
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