THE MINUTEMAN : A NORTH HAVEN DINGHY
North Haven has the honor of having the oldest active racing class in North America, possibly the oldest in the world! The story of the North Haven Dinghy is closely tied to the early history of the summer colony here. Known originally as “Rusticators,” the early summer residents of the island were attracted to North Haven by its wonderful light and air, the idyllic landscape, the open, welcoming ways of residents, and perhaps most importantly, the steady winds and protected harbors that made for exciting and memorable sailing.
The Weld brothers, Charles and William, of Massachusetts, were among the early summer residents. The Welds and other summer residents soon began competitive dinghy racing as a summer pastime. In 1883, William Weld had three sailing tenders on board his yacht, GITANA. Racing them he was soundly beaten by local gaff rigged craft.
The following year Weld returned with a much faster dinghy and proceeded to beat all comers. The first official “Grand Dinghy Race” was held in August 1887; the race was won by Ellen Hayward (later Wheeler) and the oldest racing class in North America was born.
Within a few years, James O. Brown of North Haven, with the encouragement and support of Charles Weld, began to build the very first of the dinghies, a fourteen foot boat with one sail. Four dinghies were built over the first winter. Quickly the design was modified from a spritsail to a gaff rig with the mast set in the eye of the boat.
By 1919, variations in design led to the development of standardized plans for future boats. The final model was gaff-rigged, 14’ 6” long, with a beam of 4’ 11” and a draft of 13” with the centerboard raised. The dinghies carried 350 lbs of ballast. Current models also include flotation tanks. The dinghies became very popular and useful for boating, exploring and picnicking. More than 100 wooden dinghies were built over the years by Brown’s and by Y-Knot boat shop on Southern Harbor. Eventually, faster fiberglass models built by Doug Stone, by Y-Knot Boatyard and by Brown’s, replaced the wooden dinghies.
The Centennial of the North Haven Dinghy was held August 15, 1987, 100 years to the day after Ellen Wheeler won the first official dinghy race. Today, the North Haven Yacht Club (1904), which is a division of the casino, has its own Commodore and administers summer boating and racing. Sailing lessons for North Haven children, year-round residents and summer residents, are also available each summer. Tucker Daland’s final comment in his essay, The Origin of the Summer Settlement at North Haven (1929) remains true:
Dinghy racing still continues at the island and each year finds the number of skippers increased by new enthusiasts…If you have not followed a Maine Coast class one sailboat race, you have missed the thrill of a real sport. Come to North Haven and sail a dinghy for yourself and enjoy the sunny days of summer in the protected waters of the Thoroughfare!
In the North Island Museum's boatshed, a North Haven Dinghy, THE MINUTEMAN, was given by Lansing Lamont. It was built by Ben Brown of Y-Knot Boatyard in 1976 and is believed to be the last wooden dinghy built on North Haven.
Click HERE to read Lansing Lamont's 1994 essay "The Last Sail" about THE MINUTEMAN.
The Weld brothers, Charles and William, of Massachusetts, were among the early summer residents. The Welds and other summer residents soon began competitive dinghy racing as a summer pastime. In 1883, William Weld had three sailing tenders on board his yacht, GITANA. Racing them he was soundly beaten by local gaff rigged craft.
The following year Weld returned with a much faster dinghy and proceeded to beat all comers. The first official “Grand Dinghy Race” was held in August 1887; the race was won by Ellen Hayward (later Wheeler) and the oldest racing class in North America was born.
Within a few years, James O. Brown of North Haven, with the encouragement and support of Charles Weld, began to build the very first of the dinghies, a fourteen foot boat with one sail. Four dinghies were built over the first winter. Quickly the design was modified from a spritsail to a gaff rig with the mast set in the eye of the boat.
By 1919, variations in design led to the development of standardized plans for future boats. The final model was gaff-rigged, 14’ 6” long, with a beam of 4’ 11” and a draft of 13” with the centerboard raised. The dinghies carried 350 lbs of ballast. Current models also include flotation tanks. The dinghies became very popular and useful for boating, exploring and picnicking. More than 100 wooden dinghies were built over the years by Brown’s and by Y-Knot boat shop on Southern Harbor. Eventually, faster fiberglass models built by Doug Stone, by Y-Knot Boatyard and by Brown’s, replaced the wooden dinghies.
The Centennial of the North Haven Dinghy was held August 15, 1987, 100 years to the day after Ellen Wheeler won the first official dinghy race. Today, the North Haven Yacht Club (1904), which is a division of the casino, has its own Commodore and administers summer boating and racing. Sailing lessons for North Haven children, year-round residents and summer residents, are also available each summer. Tucker Daland’s final comment in his essay, The Origin of the Summer Settlement at North Haven (1929) remains true:
Dinghy racing still continues at the island and each year finds the number of skippers increased by new enthusiasts…If you have not followed a Maine Coast class one sailboat race, you have missed the thrill of a real sport. Come to North Haven and sail a dinghy for yourself and enjoy the sunny days of summer in the protected waters of the Thoroughfare!
In the North Island Museum's boatshed, a North Haven Dinghy, THE MINUTEMAN, was given by Lansing Lamont. It was built by Ben Brown of Y-Knot Boatyard in 1976 and is believed to be the last wooden dinghy built on North Haven.
Click HERE to read Lansing Lamont's 1994 essay "The Last Sail" about THE MINUTEMAN.
North Haven Dinghy race, 1891
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James O. Brown, boatbuilder
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