Enquiries
Chris Koper, Designer
Sea K Designs
Listowel, Ontario, Canada
chriskoper@hotmail.com
519-291-6396
History: How it all startedI grew up in a prominent sailing family in South Africa. My father Jack was a National Champion sailor, and had helped introduce the Flying Dutchman to that country. Then he changed the sailing scene through his pioneering Dabchick design. He created boats with fantastic performance, faster on a reach than many larger boats. I was only 14 when I built my Dabchick, with sail number 7.The Dabchick class has issued some 3,500 sail numbers since 1956 and they are still being built. The Dabchick is still the definitive junior trainer in South Africa, the logical next step after graduating from the Optimist. Most of the well-known National and International sailors there learned to race on a Dabchick. They have been built in North America, Australia, and Europe. Over 500 Sonnets have been built. The niche was people who wanted to sail at a reasonable cost, yet attracted to her great performance in windy coastal areas. The Tempo numbered about 350-400, including fleets in Europe. I inherited my Dad’s capabilities in design, and have an extensive sailing background too. I was ranked 5th in the Canadian Finn Class and on the National Team and achieved 3rd in the J-24 Canadians. I race a Hobie 20, and have been the top boat within our Division for 5 successive years. I am Chairman of Hobie Cat’s Division 16, and am Director of Drysailing at the Etobicoke Yacht Club. Light-weight scowsI love the light-weight scow concept because it combines the stability enjoyed by learners with the sparkling performance wanted by experts. Lightweight scows are responsive and surprisingly fast, especially across the wind. The wide bow sections respond to each wave, giving a lively feeling to the boat. The amazing speed of sailboards is derived from this format.The V-bottom design enables you to heel the boat and reduce wetted surface drag, while still leaving a stable platform to sail on. It also makes them easy to build, as there is no complicated twisting of the plywood. The origin of Scows goes back many decades. They are still very popular in the Mid West USA, and are spreading south. The 18 ft Y-Flyer has been loved in Canada for a long time. This history is still having a positive impact in North America, but most of these boats are rather heavy. Designing lightweight scows has opened up a new direction. Home building is an opportunity to create something of lasting beauty – while achieving sailing on a safe but fine performing craft a whole lot more affordable! Like Jack’s innovative designs, the Sonatina and Chickadee can be built at home – offering a very worthwhile creative experience, and cutting the cost in half. They offer a new way of learning about boats and achieving outstanding performance to sailing enthusiasts in North America and Europe. Chris Koper, Designer
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