The Sonnet, of which more than 500 have been built in South Africa. The Sonnet was based on the stunning success of the very popular 12-foot Dabchick, a junior trainer that is fleet of foot, yet stable and great fun to sail. That class numbers more than 5,000, and it is still very active; every well-known South African sailor learned to sail and race on a Dabchick. The Sonnet was also derived from the 15-foot Tempo, aimed at the more expert sailor with trapeze and spinnaker.

The Sonnet is also an ideal boat for junior sailing.

The prototype is built in plywood covered with epoxy glass for strength and durability, just like the Chesapeake 18 sea kayak. The boat looks stunning in its coat of glossy varnish.

The hull weighs in at 140 pounds, so it has the advantage of being very quick to plane and itís a lot faster reaching than similar sized dinghies. Compared with Midwest scows, the Sonnet has a much lower displacement, and the V-bottom creates a better hull shape. Itís a great feeling to skim over the waves at speed. Juniors and novices enjoy the performance and get hooked quickly.

And there will be an additional rig available soon.Note that when you heel the Sonnet between 10 and 15 degrees you get the leeward bottom panel about flat with the water, which makes the boat quite stable.

This shapely little rocket would make an excellent family winter project, not to mention a wonderful family dinghy.

A dinghy with a history and horsepower that you can build yourself.

Specs:
LOA 14'6" Sail Area 122 sq. ft. (main and jib)
Beam 4'6" Weight 188 lbs.

Sonnet Class Association in South Africa

This is how a sonnet looks when it is being build.