Optimist
designed by Clark Mills · 1947
centerboarder
The Optimist is a 8-foot sailboat designed by Clark Mills, first launched in 1947.
General
| Builder | — |
|---|---|
| Designer | Clark Mills |
| Years built | 1947 |
| Hull type | centerboarder |
| Rig type | — |
| Construction | — |
| Origin | — |
Dimensions
| LOA | 7.74 ft2.36 m |
|---|---|
| LWL | 7.15 ft2.18 m |
| Beam | 771.00 ft235.00 m |
| Draft (max) | 2.00 ft0.61 m |
| Displacement | 77 lb35 kg |
| Ballast | —— |
| Sail Area | —— |
Design ratios
Computed from the specs above using the standard formulas. Try the sailboat calculators with your own numbers.
Displacement / Length 94 Ultralight
Comfort Ratio 0.0 Racing / light coastal
Capsize Screening 724.91 Better suited to coastal use (> 2.0)
Hull Speed 3.6 kn Theoretical max displacement speed
How these numbers are calculated
- SA / Displacement
SA ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(2/3)— Power-to-weight. < 16 under-canvassed, 16–20 cruiser, > 20 racer.- Ballast / Displacement
Ballast ÷ Disp × 100— Stability/stiffness. Higher carries sail better.- Displacement / Length
Disp(lt) ÷ (0.01 · LWL)³— < 100 ultralight, 100–200 light, 200–300 moderate, > 300 heavy.- Comfort Ratio (Brewer)
Disp ÷ (0.65 · (0.7·LWL + 0.3·LOA) · Beam^1.33)— Motion in a seaway. Higher = more comfortable offshore.- Capsize Screening
Beam ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(1/3)— ≤ 2.0 favored for offshore; > 2.0 better for coastal use.- Hull Speed
1.34 · √LWL— Theoretical max displacement speed in knots.
Estimated price
$1,500 typical range $1,000 – $2,000
⚠ Rough estimate only — not market data. Derived from a simple model based on length and hull age; actual asking prices vary widely with condition, equipment, engine hours and location.
Data sources: Wikidata (CC0)
