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Windmill
Designer: Clark Mills  ·  Builder: Advance Sailboat Corp. (Usa)  ·  First built: 1953
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About the Windmill

Designed by Clark Mills in 1953, this compact dinghy has earned its place as one of America's most enduring small boat designs with over 5,700 hulls launched. The Windmill represents classic single-handed sailing at its finest, combining responsive handling with forgiving characteristics that make it equally appealing to novice sailors and racing enthusiasts. At just over 15 feet, the Windmill's fractional sloop rig and centerboard configuration deliver exceptional performance in light to moderate conditions. The boat's relatively high sail area to displacement ratio of 56.09 provides spirited acceleration and nimble response, while the deep draft of 4.17 feet ensures impressive upwind capability for its size. Built in both wood and fiberglass by Advance Sailboat Corp., these boats have proven remarkably durable over seven decades of production. The Windmill excels in protected waters, small lakes, and coastal bays where its shallow draft allows exploration of shoal areas larger boats cannot access. With a comfort ratio of 2.59, this is purely a day sailor designed for exhilarating short-handed sailing rather than extended cruising. The design's longevity and active one-design racing fleet speak to its well-balanced characteristics and enduring appeal among small boat sailors.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 15.50 ft / 4.72 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 14.50 ft / 4.42 m
Beam 4.75 ft / 1.45 m
Max Draft 4.17 ft / 1.27 m
Min Draft 0.50 ft / 0.15 m
Displacement 198.00 lb / 90 kg
Sail Area (Reported) 119.00 ft² / 11.06 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Dbrd. Dinghy
Rigging Type Fractional Sloop
Construction Wood or FG
Designer Clark Mills
Builder Advance Sailboat Corp. (USA)
First Built 1953
Number Built 5700
Associations Windmill Class
Related Sailboats ["Snipe" · "470" · "Coronado 15" · "Wayfarer" · "Us1"]
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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
56.09
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
28.99
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
2.59
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
3.26
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. 5.10 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. 246.10 pounds/inch
How It Compares

vs. 470, Coronado 15, Wayfarer

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Windmill ★
15.5 ft
470
15.4 ft
Coronado 15
15.3 ft
Wayfarer
15.8 ft
LWL
Windmill ★
14.5 ft
470
14.6 ft
Coronado 15
Wayfarer
14.8 ft
Beam
Windmill ★
4.8 ft
470
5.5 ft
Coronado 15
5.7 ft
Wayfarer
6.1 ft
Displacement
Windmill ★
198 lbs
470
269 lbs
Coronado 15
385 lbs
Wayfarer
372 lbs
Sail Area
Windmill ★
119 sq ft
470
137 sq ft
Coronado 15
139 sq ft
Wayfarer
141 sq ft
Performance
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Windmill ★
56.1
470
52.7
Coronado 15
42.1
Wayfarer
43.7
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Windmill ★
2.6
470
2.9
Coronado 15
4.3
Wayfarer
3.4
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Windmill ★
3.26
470
3.41
Coronado 15
Wayfarer
3.38
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Windmill ★
28
470
38
Coronado 15
77
Wayfarer
Hull Speed
Windmill ★
5.1 kts
470
5.1 kts
Coronado 15
4.8 kts
Wayfarer
5.2 kts
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