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Gull (dinghy)
Encyclopedia
The Gull sailing dinghy
was designed by Ian Proctor
in 1956, originally as a frameless double-chine
plywood
boat. However, it has been through several incarnations: the wooden Mark I, GRP
Mark III, GRP Gull Spirit and GRP Gull Calypso. Today it is popular with sailing schools, especially in the UK.
The original prototype Gull (the "Jolly Roger") was built by Ian Proctor to teach his own children the skills of dinghy sailing. This became a production boat, often built from a kit, and produced by Smallcraft of Blockley. A GRP version was produced from 1966 but, being a near-exact copy of the wooden boat, was not well suited to GRP manufacture.
A Mark II was introduced as a cheaper GRP version without a permanent fore-deck, but did not prove very popular. The original boats became known as Mark 1 and wooden boats, probably mainly from kits, continued to be built to this specification. In the late 1970s a Mark 3 was produced, starting with no 1800. This was a radical redesign featuring a round bilge hull, greater beam and side decks. The design was optimised for and only available in GRP. Few wooden boats are believed to have been built after the Mk3 came out.
The Gull Spirit was a major redesign with a lot of innovative features developed by Anglo-Marine. This was followed by the Gull Calypso, which is a simplified design by Hartley Laminates, with no wooden parts.
The Gull has a reputation as a safe and stable boat but, particularly with the addition of a spinnaker, it is raced competitively. It is classed as a two-person boat but can easily be launched, sailed and recovered single-handed, making it a suitable cruising boat for the solo sailor. It can easily be rowed (with the addition of rowlocks) and can be fitted with an outboard engine. Hence, it is a very versatile boat.
The Gull is a great boat to sail. It was built mainly for training purposes, therefore it is easy and fun to sail. It is a very safe and capable sea boat.
The Gull Class Association
Gulldinghy.org website
http://forums.go-sail.co.uk/index.php?board=62.0 The Gull Forum
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
was designed by Ian Proctor
Ian Proctor
Ian Douglas Ben Proctor, FRSA, known as Ian Proctor, was a prolific designer of both sailing dinghies and cruisers...
in 1956, originally as a frameless double-chine
Chine (boating)
A chine in boating refers to a sharp angle in the hull, as compared to the rounded bottoms of most traditional boat hulls. The term hard chine indicates an angle with little rounding, where a soft chine would be more rounded, but still involve the meeting of distinct planes. Chine log...
plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
boat. However, it has been through several incarnations: the wooden Mark I, GRP
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
Mark III, GRP Gull Spirit and GRP Gull Calypso. Today it is popular with sailing schools, especially in the UK.
The original prototype Gull (the "Jolly Roger") was built by Ian Proctor to teach his own children the skills of dinghy sailing. This became a production boat, often built from a kit, and produced by Smallcraft of Blockley. A GRP version was produced from 1966 but, being a near-exact copy of the wooden boat, was not well suited to GRP manufacture.
A Mark II was introduced as a cheaper GRP version without a permanent fore-deck, but did not prove very popular. The original boats became known as Mark 1 and wooden boats, probably mainly from kits, continued to be built to this specification. In the late 1970s a Mark 3 was produced, starting with no 1800. This was a radical redesign featuring a round bilge hull, greater beam and side decks. The design was optimised for and only available in GRP. Few wooden boats are believed to have been built after the Mk3 came out.
The Gull Spirit was a major redesign with a lot of innovative features developed by Anglo-Marine. This was followed by the Gull Calypso, which is a simplified design by Hartley Laminates, with no wooden parts.
The Gull has a reputation as a safe and stable boat but, particularly with the addition of a spinnaker, it is raced competitively. It is classed as a two-person boat but can easily be launched, sailed and recovered single-handed, making it a suitable cruising boat for the solo sailor. It can easily be rowed (with the addition of rowlocks) and can be fitted with an outboard engine. Hence, it is a very versatile boat.
The Gull is a great boat to sail. It was built mainly for training purposes, therefore it is easy and fun to sail. It is a very safe and capable sea boat.
External links
Gull Blog Up to the minute Gull news and storiesThe Gull Class Association
Gulldinghy.org website
http://forums.go-sail.co.uk/index.php?board=62.0 The Gull Forum