Vanguard 15

Vanguard 15
Development
DesignerBob Ames
LocationUnited States
Year1992
Builder(s)Team Vanguard
LaserPerformance
RoleOne-design racer
NameVanguard 15
Boat
Crewtwo
Displacement200 lb (91 kg)
Draft3.42 ft (1.04 m) with the daggerboard down
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA15.25 ft (4.65 m)
LWL15.00 ft (4.57 m)
Beam5.50 ft (1.68 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board typedaggerboard
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
Sails
SailplanFractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area77 sq ft (7.2 m2)
Jib/genoa area48 sq ft (4.5 m2)
Total sail area125 sq ft (11.6 m2)

The Vanguard 15 is an American planing sailing dinghy that was designed by Bob Ames as a one-design racer and first built in 1992.[1][2][3][4][5]

Production

[edit]

The design was built by Team Vanguard in the United States and later by LaserPerformance, but is no longer in production.[1][2][5][6][7]

Design

[edit]

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][2][5]

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][2]

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.[5]

The design has a hull speed of 5.19 kn (9.61 km/h).[1][2]

Operational history

[edit]

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."[5]

A 2013 review in Sail1Design noted "the Vanguard 15 boasts one of the strongest class associations of any one-design fleet, running hundreds of events each year. With fleets located across the country, there are opportunities to get involved from the club level to championship regattas. The V15 is a popular club level fleet racer as well as team racer."[8]

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.[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Vanguard 15 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sea Time Tech, LLC (2023). "Vanguard 15". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Bob Ames". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ^ Sea Time Tech, LLC (2023). "Bob Ames". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e 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
  6. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "LaserPerformance". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ^ Sea Time Tech, LLC (2023). "LaserPerformance". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. ^ "One Design Class Profile: Vanguard 15". sail1design.com. 17 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  9. ^ 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.
[edit]