sparrow 12 sailboat

Sparrows and Guppies

Sparrow 12: little known cousin of the west wight potter.

The Guppy 13 - Another Name for a Sparrow 12?

Review of Sparrow 12

Basic specs., sailing characteristics.

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Sparrow 12 is 3.22, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 4.4 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Sparrow 12 is about 38 kg/cm, alternatively 216 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 38 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 216 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio) Indicates how fast the boat is in light wind: - Cruising Boats have ratios 10-15 - Cruiser-Racers have ratios 16-20 - Racers have ratios above 20 - High-Performance Racers have ratios above 24 Sail-area/displacement ratio (SA/D ratio): 23.49

Maintenance

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Sparrow 12 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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Lake Livingston Winter Sail Trip Guppy 13

Small Craft Advisor

Sparrow 16 vs Dovekie

A round 1 mini-cruiser madness match-up.

Here’s in interesting match-up. Sure, they seem like very different boats, but both are lightweight, trailerable sailboats used for camp-cruising—and really, how many designs by the eccentric genius Phil Bolger fit neatly into a category?

Long before this Mini-Cruiser Madness spectacle we referred to the Ron Holder-designed Sparrow 16 as a “sleeper.” If life were fair the surprisingly lively, exceptionally accommodating Sparrow 16 would upset a few boats and find itself in the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8 of this contest. But then we only have one vote, and the Dovekie is an iconic design with its own remarkable virtues.

Here’s what we said about the Sparrow in our review article (Issue #52): What surprised us was how well the Sparrow responded in the light breeze. We were making progress even in the lulls—a nice track behind us and barely a ripple from the hull. The Sparrow seemed to slip through the water with very little disturbance. Helm was perfect, with just a touch of weather pull in winds up to seven knots.

With a shoal keel we anticipated her performance would suffer when hard on the wind. This was not always true, the Sparrow would actually point fairly high and make good progress to windward. It was only with increasing heel that you could tell her shallow keel was losing traction. Overall performance was good—and much better than we’d expected.

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Sparrow - 12' Sailing Dinghy

Modified Item: No

Product Type: Sailboats

Featured Refinements: Sailing Dinghy

Two fibreglass SPARROW sailing dinghies for sale. Both on very good condition, have been in our yacht club since new.Ideal for adults or teenagers for learning to sail and for use in club competition.Both have complete sets of sails, swing down centreboards and rudders. One is White over Pale Blue on an unreg. Road trailer with beach trolley and the other one is Orange on a beach trolley only.Will sell together for $700 or separately as follows: Blue with trailer and beach trolley - $550; Orange with beach trolley only - $450Can also be rowed or powered by up to 5HP outboard motors if desired.

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Sparrow 16 were build around 1980 in Washington. About a hundred were launched - 16' trailer sailing boats with shoal keels. We are looking for owners and former owners who will share their experiences.  

Sparrow 16 I have owned my Sparrow 16 (hull #19) for since August 2008. I love it. I am at least the 3rd owner and bought it in the Spokane WA area. As soon as I bought mine, a second came up for sale in the same area. I haven't had it out too many times to test it yet but I know it can sail quite well in light winds. I'm looking forward to taking on the big lakes of north Idaho next summer. I find it pretty easy to rig and maintain. Not having a centerboard means much less maintenance. There are no spreaders and no backstay so setting up at the ramp is easy. The keel presents a bit of a problem for launching. My solution was to add a telscoping tongue that increases its length by 7' just for launching. The most definitive review of it I've found was done by the magazine Small Craft Advisor. I highlty recommend it. You can order it at their website. Best Christine  

Attachments

Hi Christine! Okay, you still have your boat! I picked up two photos you may have posted on Shorty Pens website. Your email address did not work so I feared you had moved on... As you may know, I've put a web site for Sparrow 16 up and established a yahoo group sparrow16 if you care to join. Thanks for making contact, Bill  

Bill, Can you send me your email address using a private message? I cannot send them yet since I'm so new here. Also, can you send me the link to your website and the yahoo group? Thanks!  

[****  

That was originally a Guppy designed by Ron Holder so it should be a nice boat. Combined Melon Marine and Northshore Marine only around 150 were built so a rare find. Just be mindful of the lack of a kick-up rudder and the need for around 3 feet of water to float it off the trailer when launching and retrieving due to the fixed shoal keel.  

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Racing Sparrow Plans

Check out these plans and resources, ranging from a 375mm boat to a 1500mm yacht. Pair these with our eBook guide for a fast, easy, and affordable home build RC yacht.

RS-RG65 - 650mm plans, measures to international RG65 rules

A full forward hull and a straight stern. This boat has proven to be a very fast and competitive racer.

Free Book Sample - PDF

A few pages from the eBook absolutely free

Racing Sparrow 750 plans

The plans that come with the eBook.

Racing Sparrow 1000 plans

A one metre version, scaled up lines. Bulkhead only plans. Look at the 750 for full schematics.

Racing Sparrow 1500 plans - A scaled up Racing Sparrow

A larger size model yacht. I haven't seen many of these surface. It's a good challenge to build.

Racing Sparrow 375 plans - The smallest sparrow

A miniature RacingSparrow. A great introduction to building with balsa.

RacingSparrow Footy plans

A double diagonal design footy from RacingSparrow.

Logos & Sticker Sheet

Downloadable logos and an EPS file to be sent to a printer and printed out on navy blue cutout vinyl.

Common questions about the plans

What tools do i need to build a racingsparrow.

1. Chisel 2. Craft-knife 3. Drill Bit - 2mm (5/64in)bit 4. Drill Bit - 5mm (3/16in) bit 5. Electric Drill 6. Felt Marker 7. File 8. Hacksaw 9. Hammer 10. Hole Punch 11. Lighter 12. Pen 13. Pencil 14. Pins 15. Pliers 16. Ruler (steel) 17. Sanding Block 18. Scissors 19. Screwdriver 20. Spirit Level (optional) 21. Sponge Brush (several) 22. Vice Grips

Do I need the eBook to build this cool rc sailboat?

No you don't. The book is designed for the newcomer to model yacht building. The book does make it a much simpler process with every detail figured out and covered in the book. Seasoned builders can simply have a go with the free plans.

Are the plans really free?

Yes all the plans are free to download and use as you see fit. The most comprehensive plans are the RS750 A1 full size.

Are there CAD files or 3D files?

Yes there is a 3D dxf file inside a zip file that you can download for free and use how you want. Some people use this in CAD programs or in 3D modelling programmes to great effect. Look under Racing Sparrow 750 plans on this page. An STL file for 3D printing is in the pipelines. Email me if you want a copy.

While we think 3D printing is great, we believe old-skool strip planking balsa is a wonderfully simple way to make a very lightweight boat with excellent longitudinal strength and beauty.

Builders eBook

Dive into the world of boat building with our eBook. Discover the craft of hull planking, fibreglass strengthening, and lead keel ballast casting.

Master the art of electrics installation, spray painting, sail making, and tuning of sails. Download a sample today and embark on a rewarding journey of boat construction.

What the builders and sailors say:

Being a complete novice, I purchased your book a couple of years ago and built two racing sparrows. Building on this experience I then went on to build, from scratch, an IOM (Triple Crown design). I've since joined a local club and sail virtually every weekend. I would just like to thank you for your endeavours which have allowed me to enter a world I never thought was in my reach.

John Sterland, Australia

Coming upon your book, "Build your own Radio Controlled Yacht" in the Napier Public Library, I am hugely impressed. The combination of your superb photos and illustrations with your easy writing style make it a standout publication and I hope it does well for you.

Richard Spence, New Zealand

Thanks for an excellent design in your RG65. I trialled her again today in a solid 20 knots gusting higher. Even so in a steep chop and fingers off the rudder she drove upwind remarkably well, balanced perfectly. Very impressed that a model boat can handle that with a large rig. I found the book excellent. Ive built several big boats, plus a few skiffs and without that resource building such a good boat would have been impossible.

Mike Bennett

Look at all these cool boats folk have made at home

There is also a full gallery with a boat load of photos of Racing Sparrow's

Tools of the trade

Feb 2, 2019

Racing Sparrow 750 - Plumridge , Vienna, Austria

Oct 19, 2012

Miss Sunshine, RS750 by Terry Plumridge from Vienna Austria. Built for his wife Gertraud. Terry writes "Firstly thanks for writing your book, it introduced me to building from plans, and plank on frame construction, both of which I enjoyed tremendously."

Royal Declerks' Black Pearl , Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia

Apr 2, 2017

Racing Sparrow 1000 - Larry Kin , Sydney, Australia

Feb 11, 2008

John Sheehan's 750 - stunner!

Oct 28, 2009

Apr 20, 2020

I bought the racing sparrow book about 18 months ago, didn’t ever think it would take an awful pandemic to prompt me to build it. Now can’t wait to rig and sail it. I opted for flush hatches to run the sheets over the top.

'Sparrow' based RG 65

May 2, 2020

Weighing up the options - Garry Angel , France

May 2, 2009

John Goodyear , England

Mar 20, 2009

Jonathan Daniel

Oct 9, 2008

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Sailing Into Oblivion: The Solo Non-stop Voyage of the Mighty Sparrow Paperback – January 28, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 206 pages
• Language English
• Publication date January 28, 2020
• Dimensions 6 x 0.52 x 9 inches
• ISBN-13 979-8605272892
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0849Z3K1L
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (January 28, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8605272892
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.52 x 9 inches
• #226 in Solo Travel Guides
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The Departure from Gloucester

About the author

Jerome rand.

Growing up in Northern Michigan, Jerome was surrounded by water. Though his sailing career started late, once it had begun it never stopped. Inspired by adventure stories told by the solo sailors of the 1960's, it wasn't long before a dream would become a reality. Aboard his Westsail 32, Mighty Sparrow, Jerome would circle the globe alone and without stopping from October 2017 thru June 2018. A present day sailor working with the tools of yesteryear, his adventure spanned 271 days and over 29,000 miles.

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• Sailboat Guide

Sparrow 16 is a 16 ′ 4 ″ / 5 m monohull sailboat designed by Ron Holder and built by Northshore Marine starting in 1978.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Originaly called the GUPPY 16 built by Melon Marine. Very few were built before the molds were aquired by Northshore Marine (USA). Thanks to Christine for updated information.(first built date).

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Solo-Sailing Veteran Returns for Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show

Posted April 27, 2023

Ronnie Simpson, While Preparing for Solo Around-the-World Sail, Returns With Sparrow for Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show

Thirty-eight-year old Hawaii-based sailor Ronnie Simpson has recently sailed back into Annapolis after conducting more than 900 miles of solo offshore sea trials and training off of the East Coast. Simpson, a combat-wounded and medically retired US Marine, is preparing for the Global Solo Challenge race out of Spain in October.

His Open 50 racing yacht, Sparrow, has completed two solo around the world races in the past, but now it is Simpson’s turn to race Sparrow around the world, non-stop and solo. Previously known as Newcastle, Australia, and Balance Bar, the 50-foot racing yacht was donated to US Patriot Sailing —a Chesapeake based Veteran’s sailing non-profit—specifically for this campaign.

While Simpson and Sparrow spent the winter in the Carolinas for offshore training and boat preparations, the campaign is now back at home base in Annapolis for one month before tackling her race required 2000-mile qualifying voyage and sailing over to Europe for the race start.

Since being wounded in combat by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq in 2004, Simpson has gone on to sail more than 130,000 miles at sea including dozens of ocean crossings and races, mostly in the Pacific. With a lifelong dream of racing around the world singlehanded, Ronnie was given that opportunity when he was able to acquire the Open 50, along with the help of US Patriot Sailing.

Simpson and US Patriot Sailing have teamed up to operate the vessel out of Annapolis for a period of three years. After Simpson races around the world solo this fall, the vessel will return to Annapolis to be a sailing and training platform for the US Patriot Sailing veteran community, and will campaign local offshore races.

The campaign is also supported by a number of other marine industry companies including local companies such as Chesapeake Sailmakers and The Rigging Company . While here in Annapolis, the team will install an entire new inventory of sails sponsored by Chesapeake Sailmakers and Elvstrøm Sails out of Denmark and do major rigging upgrades.

“We did a lot of work to the boat during our winter re-fit in North Carolina, and I have just completed over 900 miles of solo training and sea trials which went off without a hitch. The boat is performing well. It’s really cool to be back in Annapolis… with some of my biggest sponsors being based here, and the boat now owned and registered out of Annapolis, I’m especially looking forward to engaging with the local sailing community once again while at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show .

“We had the boat on display at the US Sailboat Show (fall show) and had literally thousands of people walk through and tour the boat. We also took a school group and some veterans out sailing and engaged with several sponsors. Annapolis has an incredible sailing culture and has really embraced this campaign; I look forward to engaging with the community once again, and I’m grateful to the Annapolis Sailboat Show for this opportunity,” Simpson said.  

Ronnie and Sparrow will be docked at the show from Friday April 28 through Sunday April 30, and will be based in Annapolis Roads through the end of May before tackling her race required 2000 mile qualifying sail and ending in Maine before heading to Europe.

For more information on this campaign, visit at ronniesimpsonracing.com

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Open 50 Sparrow

Open 50 sparrow.

Sparrow is an Open 50 class racing yacht that was designed by David Lyons and built in Australia by Kanga Birtles for the 1994 BOC Around the World Race.

Sailing under the name Newcastle Australia , Alan Nebauer completed the race after dismasting before Cape Horn and rounding under jury rig. Nebauer sailed to the Falklands where a new mast was fitted. Then en route to Punta del Este, his rudder failed, and he fitted a steering oar to complete the leg to Punta del Este. Alan rightly earned seamanship awards for his tenacity and grit, and finished fourth in class.

Four years later, American Brad Van Liew raced her around the globe again in the 1998-99 Around Alone as Balance Bar . This time it was Brad’s turn, and he was dismasted on the final leg to Charleston. But again a new mast was fitted and Brad completed the race, finishing 3rd in class. Tech innovator and entrepreneur Philippe Kahn then bought the boat and renamed her Pegasus . The boat was then fitted with a new carbon mast, rudder and deck, as well as a new keel and ballast tanks, engine and electronics. More recently, Californian Whitall Stokes sailed the boat some 20,000 nautical miles including a 17,000 mile singlehanded voyage from California to Maine via Cape Horn. Stopping just twice, Stokes left the boat with the talented and experienced crew at Maine Yacht Center before deciding what his next voyage would be. Due to the realities of life, family and business rendering it impossible to mount a campaign for the Global Solo Challenge himself, Stokes loaned the boat to Hawaii sailor Ronnie Simpson.

Sparrow Specifications

Designer: David Lyons Country of build: Australia Year Launched: 1994 Former Names: Newcastle Australia, Balance Bar, Pegasus Races around the world: 2 Cape Horn Roundings: 3

LOA 50.0 ft Beam 14.5 ft Draft 12.5 ft Air Draft 80 feet SA (100% Foretriangle) 1600 Sq Ft Displacement 18,000 lbs D/L 68 SA/D, Upwind 39 SA/D, Downwind 66 Fixed Keel, Single Rudder, Water Ballast

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