Paper Jet 14
by Dudley Dix

Dudley Dix's newest dinghy design, this is a modern performance skiff concept with some traditional touches.

Grow your sailing skills without changing boats - 3 rigs in 1 boat.

Paper Jet Lite - Free-standing unarig

Paper Jet Standard - Add standing rigging & jib

Paper jet Turbo - Longer topmast, larger mainsail and add bowsprit, asymmetrical spinnaker & trapeze - a powered-up performance skiff

Wet deck - open transom for fast draining

Stitch & glue plywood - within the abilities of reasonably skilled amateurs

Built over lightweight interlocking ladder-frame - strong but lightweight

Simple hardware layout - great training boat

Traditional rigging features - reduced hardware and cost

---

---

The Paper Jet 14 is designed primarily as a training boat, with the intention that it can cater for a wide range of sailing skills. Dudley Dix wanted a boat that will allow a club to race it as a class boat that will give exciting sailing to those who have the skills but will also allow less experienced sailors to develop their sailing skills in the same boat at a much lower level of performance.

The same features that he designed into it for club use will allow a family to use one hull as the platform on which Dad can have his excitement of blasting across large expanses of water but junior can sail the same boat (if he can pry it loose from Dad's grip) with a smaller rig and at slower speed.

Dudley Dix is not trying to produce a design that will sail the pants off any of the other single-handers. It is fast and it will be really exciting to sail with the Turbo rig, but from the outset (this boat has been in the back of my head for over 10 years) it is intended to provide an economical path for sailors to progress between boats like the Optimist and the costly single-handed skiffs without having to trade up their boat each time to go the next step. They can build a Paper Jet at the cheapest level or the level that they think that they can handle and progress from there. Meanwhile, as long as Dad is not out sailing, the kids can use the same boat at a more basic level. It makes sailing more viable for many families. With time and skill improvements they can move into more costly boats if they feel the need.

---

More Info:

To view more pictures click the link below and for information on the kit contact us
  more build pictures 1
  more build pictures 2
  more sailing pictures 1
  more sailing pictures 2

  Professional Boatbuilder Article - Feature - The Paper Jet